Fortune's Fool
by S. C. Hardy
Summary: Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts. He's grieving over his Godfather, learning to deal with the changing relationship of his friends (RHr, HG), realizing that feelings change, and trying to solve that little problem he likes to call Voldemort.
1. Absolutely Zero

Fortune's Fool 

Chapter 1- Absolutely Zero

_You.__ You were a friend. You were a friend of mine I let you spend the night_

_You see how it was my fault. Of course it was mine._

_Who am I to say this situation isn't great? It's my job to make the most of it_

_Of course I didn't know that it would happen to me. Not that easy._

Jason Mraz, "Absolutely Zero"

It was a gloomy summer's day in Surrey, Little Whinging. Dark clouds loomed over the empty street and the rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance. The wind was beginning to pick up and the flowers in the garden swayed, their noses bowing down to the wavering blades of grass.

Number four, Privet Drive was almost empty and all the upstairs lights were off. Through the window you could tell that the television in the living room was flickering on and off because of the foul weather, and this greatly annoyed the portly son of the homeowners.

"Stop _doing_ that!" Dudley Dursley roared, kicking the side of the entertainment center.

This caused some of the glass figurines to rattle and the television to flicker even more. The boy's parents were at a banquet, so he had to endure the trauma that was the ruddy living room television instead of the one in his parents' bedroom—he had broken the big screen in his own room.

The other boy of the house sat on the opposite sofa, watching with dreary eyes as his cousin attempted to fiddle with the wires of the television. He was stretched out with his hands caught in the tangle of his messy black hair, his round glasses drooping down to the tip of his nose.

Harry Potter knew Dudley's attempts should amuse him, seeing as in a second or two the boy had a good chance of getting shot across the room by an electric current, but he didn't have the energy to even _look_ amused.

For the entire month of July, Harry had been situated in one of three spots: his bedroom, which was a horrendous mess; the living room sofa, his family tolerated this because he remained eerily silent the entire time and the garden, staying out there until it was far past his normal curfew.

It wasn't that he didn't _want_ to go out, or that he couldn't, the problem of finding the energy and strength to do something, anything, was keeping him indoors.

Harry couldn't find it in himself to take a walk down to the play park, or head over to Mrs. Figg's to talk to Ron through the fireplace.

Actually, Harry hadn't even been responding to Ron and Hermione's letters with the enjoyment and urgency he used to. It seemed to be frustrating them to no ends, especially now that Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, and Ginny Weasley had been sending him letters as well. There was a long line of people to respond to and Harry never had the urge to do so.

The only person he had bothered to associate himself with was the little kid down the street, Mark Evans.

The boy had managed to tag along during Harry's forced trips outside ("If you don't get out of this house in five seconds I'm going to _throw you out!_" Uncle Vernon would roar.). The boy was rather funny and witty, but he always asked questions about Harry's school life, forcing Harry to create elaborate lies about how _wonderful_ St. Brutus' _really_ was.

The young wizard knew something was wrong with him, physically and mentally, and he was quite aware that the entire Order of the Phoenix knew as well, which meant he might be leaving Privet Drive soon. Thing was, he didn't exactly _mind_ what was wrong with him; he almost felt as if he deserved to be so forlorn all the time. Maybe this would make going back to Hogwarts so much sweeter…

"DAMNIT!"Dudley shrieked, and with a look of immense fury, he punched the wall.

Harry jumped slightly at the impact, his eyes widening at the hole his cousin had just created. Dudley seemed to be just as shocked, and he stared at the whole in the wall with wide, teary eyes.

"Oh hell," Harry muttered, standing up and walking over to take a closer look at the damage. It seemed that Dudley was very lucky he missed a stud in the wall, but his hand was still bleeding nonetheless.

"Geez, Big-D, you ever hear of reruns?"

Dudley managed to glare at his cousin before he whined and pulled his fist out of the wall, flicking the dust and plaster off with an awkward amount of care; apparently he didn't want to hurt himself even _more_. His fist was already stained red and the blood began slowly dripping down his arm.

"W-whoa, Duds," Harry warned, putting his hand out to catch some of the blood near Dudley's elbow, "get that on the carpet and your mum will have _my_ head."

Feeling a tinge of gratefulness for having something to occupy his mind, Harry led his cousin to the kitchen, turning on the water tap so Dudley could soak his hand. The large boy was still whimpering as he washed away all the grime and junk that had landed on his hand.

"What's the matter with you?" Harry asked, rummaging through a drawer for the first-aid kit. "I'm sure you've taken harder hits than that during your boxing matches."

"Dad's going to _kill_ me if he finds out I hurt my hand!" Dudley confessed, looking very distressed. "I have a _huge_ match next week; all of his bosses are going to be there!"

Harry smirked slightly, finding the kit and emerging from the drawer.

Dudley had taken a seat at the table, holding his injured hand out and holding his head in the other. The young wizard couldn't stop the sympathy he was feeling for his cousin, and somehow he knew that Dudley was _really _worried about his dad's reaction.

He wasn't sure what caused the sudden surge of familiarity with his cousin, but he ignored his questioning conscience and left the first-aid kit on the counter.

"Give me your hand."

Dudley peeked through his chubby fingers with questioning eyes.

"Why the hell do you want my hand?"

"Just _give it_."

"Are you a pansy or something?"

Harry had to resist the urge to call Dudley something _very_ rude; his mouth remained planted shut, his feet stuck to the ground.

"Damn it, Dudley, I'm going to fix it!"

The blonde boy still looked suspicious, but he stuck his hand out to Harry. With a slight roll of his eyes, Harry took his cousin's hand, grasping it around the wrist (as well as he could, Dudley was _much_ larger than Harry), and hovered his other hand over it. Closing his eyes tightly, Harry concentrated as hard as he could, whispering '_Reparo_,' trying to picture Dudley's hand completely healed..

"What are you doing?" Dudley asked, his voice slightly strained.

"I'm trying to _fix your hand_, how many bloody times do I have to say it?"

"With _what_?"

Harry's eyes snapped open, staring at Dudley as if he had the brain capacity of a two-year old.

"With _magic_, what on Earth do you _think_ I'm using?"

The green-eyed boy winced, realizing his mistake. Almost immediately, Dudley yanked his arm away, letting out a scream of indescribable pain. He backed away and almost out of the kitchen with a terrified look in his eyes.

"Don't get any closer!" Dudley yelled as Harry approached him, trying to explain. "I'm going to tell my dad, and when he gets back he's--"

"Going to kill you for hurting yourself."

Dudley paused immediately, glaring daggers at Harry. The young wizard remained calm, looking a bit smug.

"Look, I promise I'm not going to hurt you—I honestly don't know if this is even going to work…but seeing as a bandage is _noticeable_, I'm going to try to fix it so it doesn't even sting."

"H-how?"

Harry noticed that Dudley had taken some tiny steps back into the kitchen. With a sigh, the boy recalled some of his Charms lessons and spells Hermione had _forced_ him to learn.

"I'll try to do…er…_that _without my…thing."

He figured if he didn't say the words 'magic' or 'wand' Dudley would remain semi-calm. It seemed to work as Dudley released a sigh and took a seat. Apparently, this boxing thing was very important to him.

"Fine. But I'm warning you, Scar-head, if you mess it up even more, I'm going to knock your lights out!"

Harry had to bite his lip to stop himself from asking Dudley if he'd knock him out just like he made that hole in the wall. The boy figured that if Dudley forgot about the hole, he'd get a good talking to by his father.

"Just hold still and be quiet, I'm going to need to concentrate."

The young wizard didn't know why he was so determined to heal Dudley; maybe it was the inkling in the back of his mind that he wouldn't hear the end of it from Uncle Vernon if he found his son's hand in such a state. Maybe it was the fact that he still felt a bit guilty for the Dementor attack from the year before. Whatever the reason, it was strong, and Harry focused a tremendous amount of energy into performing the healing.

He took Dudley's hand and placed his other hand on top of the cuts, closing his eyes and concentrating on the cuts. Hopefully wandless magic didn't count as underage magic; how on Earth would the Ministry be able to tell if it had been intentional or not?

He was repeating the spell over and over in his head, trying to trick his mind into thinking that he had his wand. If he could just use his fingers as an outlet, then maybe his wandless magic would work…

"Ooh, that's weird," Dudley whispered, his eyes wide.

Harry's eyes shot open and he pulled his hands away from Dudley's. His cousin must've felt the cuts closing up, because now they were just the size of paper cuts. The young wizard couldn't help but feel a bit proud, as he watched Dudley examine his hand.

"How does it feel?" Harry asked, trying to get a look at the hand.

"Like it never happened."

Dudley's eyes were wide with surprise, and Harry wondered for a brief second if his cousin was having second thoughts about magic.

"Well…" Dudley looked very uncomfortable, his eyes darting around the room for something to pay attention to. "Better clean up that blood on the floor."

Harry took a deep breath and forced something of a smile; Dudley was never going to change and he didn't know why he had even _thought_ it might happen. He whirled around to find a rag he could use, but was surprised when he felt a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. Harry watched in shock as Dudley bent down to wipe up the blood.

Much more than mildly impressed, Harry mumbled a "good night," and left for his bedroom in an intense daze.

Where had _that_ come from? Harry had always done things for Dudley (well, he was mostly ordered to do them) and never in his entire life had the boy returned the favor. What had happened over the past school year? Was it the dementor? What had Dudley _felt_ that had changed him so?

Harry didn't think to dwell on it. Remembering last summer's confrontation with the thing that scared him the most would only bring back even worse memories, like the first time he had ever felt a dementor.

That would lead to what happened in his third year, and Harry had to stop and lean against the wall of the staircase to stop himself from reliving it all. He couldn't think of anything that reminded him of his godfather, not now, anyway. He would wait until he went to bed.

Dudley was lucky: his parents got home very late and didn't notice the hole in the wall. Harry wondered how they would react in the morning, figuring Uncle Vernon would somehow turn it around and make it Harry's fault.

He wasn't sure what time it was, probably close to twelve, but Harry didn't feel tired at all. Actually, he was _exhausted_, but not sleepy, and it annoyed him greatly.

Last year, he'd been able to be angry and yell and just release all of his frustration at whatever was bothering him. It had felt good to let his anger after keeping it bottled up for so long, but it wasn't very effective at making him happy, or making the pain go away.

He didn't think this pain would _ever _disappear.

Harry hadn't gone one night without a nightmare about his godfather. They weren't like the ones he had about Cedric, no, these were dreams about the living Sirius, the man he had got to know and the memories he would never be able to create. Last night he dreamed of Sirius taking him on a ride with Buckbeak, just for kicks. It had never happened, it never had the chance to happen, and now it never _would_ happen.

He didn't know how to deal with losing someone he'd loved so much but never had a chance to to share his life with.

Sirius had been the closest thing Harry had ever had to a father, and losing his parents in the first place had been a heavy weight on his heart. Now he had double the pain because he had caught a glimpse of what a normal life could have been.

Sirius' death had bee so sudden, so incredibly fast, that Harry still felt as if he was under a sleeping draught in the Hospital Wing. Where had his godfather _gone_? The only solid answer he had got from anyone was that Sirius was dead, forever out of his life and never to be seen again. Could he have been saved? What was that curse? When would Bellatrix pay?

The thought of her made Harry's eyes well with tears and he clenched his fists; if he'd only been angrier, he could have made her suffer just like she was making him suffer—taking away his godfather was quite possibly the worst thing anyone could have done to him. If only he was angrier…

…that always made his stomach flip, too. Why _wasn't_ he mad enough to hurt Bellatrix? Didn't Sirius mean anything to him?

"Damn," he whispered, flipping onto his stomach to bury his face into his pillow. It happened every night.

He would try to fall asleep out of sheer exhaustion, but when that didn't work, he wondered _why_ he wasn't falling asleep and that always led to thoughts of Sirius.

The beeping of Dudley's watch woke him up even more; it was indicating that it was midnight and July thirty-first. Immediately after the beeping, a rapid tapping against his window began.and he released a deep breath as he forced himself off the bed. He noticed that it was only one owl, Hedwig. When he let her in, she dropped into his hands a single envelope.

He shuffled over to his bed, flopping onto his stomach and pulling the envelope apart, pouring out its contents. It was a picture of him, drawn rather badly, flying on his broomstick, looking very happy.

Animated Harry landed at a party of animated friends (even Crookshanks and Pig made it in) and he blew out the candles. Confetti and balloons were released, forming the words, "Happy 16th Birthday!" The picture of the party then disappeared and the words 'Go look out your window' appeared.

Clearly confused, Harry neatly folded up the rest of the package and walked over to the window, pulling it as open as it could possibly get. It wasn't raining anymore, but the dark clouds still engulfed the sky. All the houses on the street were dark and oddly enough, so were the streetlights.

"_Psst, Harry__!"_

His head snapped towards the ground, shocked at the sound of a voice down below in the garden. Harry squinted his eyes to get adjusted to the dark and he gasped, sticking his head out even further.

"_Professor Lupin__?"_

Harry couldn't help the enormous grin that had slid onto his face as Remus Lupin waved softly up at him. His former Defense professor was one of his most cherished adult friends, and to see him paying a really…_late_ visit, just for his birthday, was very cool.

Also, in the back of Harry's mind, he thought that this could mean that he might be able to leave Privet Drive.

"What are you doing here?" Harry whispered as loud as he could, so not to wake up the Dursleys. Lupin shrugged slightly, running a hand through his hair.

"Wouldn't it be more comfortable if we were on the same level?" Lupin replied.

The young wizard nodded quickly, rushing out of his room and whisking down the stairs in probably the quietest fashion he had ever in his life. He was not going to let the Dursleys ruin Lupin's visit. The thought of it actually _not_ being Lupin crossed his mind for a second, and he made sure his wand was at the ready position as he opened the door.

But, when Harry saw the face of the man on his front steps, he was sure that it was his former Defense Professor. Lupin's face looked old and grey; his eyes looked horribly sad in the moonlight. When he smiled, Harry could pick out many different emotions, most of them making Harry's chest tighten.

"Come in," he ushered, but Lupin shook his head, looking back out into the street.

"No…I can't, don't want to cause any trouble." He smiled down at Harry. "Let's go for a walk."

The boy shrugged, and rushed to get his cloak before following Remus out into the dark street; he didn't care if his neighbors saw him outside this late, but he care about the hole-covered pajamas he was wearing. He noticed that the street lamps had turned back on, and he shared his observation with Remus.

"Ah," Lupin said, an amused grin on his face, "yes, that was me. Didn't want the neighbors to think you're socializing with hooligans in the night."

Harry forced something like a chuckle as they continued down the pavement, his hands dug deeply into his pockets. He was eager to ask questions, but there was something blocking his usual bravery at finding out what he wanted. He and Professor Lupin shared a common tragedies. Harry and Lupin had a few conversations about the Potters, but it seemed like they were both avoiding Sirius' death, and neither wanted to start it. Harry had noticed the uncomfortable feeling the two had together the first time they saw each other after the Ministry of Magic, on the train platform.

The young wizard didn't think they would ever have the relationship they used to.

"He won't be out for a while."

Harry turned his eyes towards Lupin and saw that he was staring up at the sky, his eyes slightly narrowed as he examined the twinkling stars. The boy followed his gaze and couldn't find what his former professor was talking about.

"Er…_who_ won't be out?"

"Sirius."

It made Harry stop immediately, his heart thumping hard in his chest. Lupin stopped walking a few paces ahead, his eyes still on the sky. The older wizard didn't turn around at first; he just bowed his head as Harry carefully approached him.

"What…what are you talking about?"

Lupin turned slightly towards him, looking even sadder than he had at the doorstep. His shoulders sagged as he released a large sigh, his eyes obviously avoiding Harry's.

"The star, his star—his namesake? It's a winter star; we won't see him until the winter."

Harry thought briefly that the star thing was very nice, but he couldn't get out a word. He knew what was coming.

"How are you doing, Harry?"

The boy hid his wince very well. What he _wanted_ was to talk to Lupin about Sirius, not to pour out his feelings in the middle of the street, under the light of a Muggle streetlamp. How could he expect Harry to discuss what was going through his mind because of the death of the only real family he's ever known?

"I'm okay."

His lie was obvious, but he supposed that his point of not wanting to talk was as well. Lupin opened his mouth again and even put his hand out, but he retracted, faltering. Harry saw pain flash across the older wizard's face, but he couldn't find the courage within himself to help him.

"Oh," Lupin responded, sounding professional. Harry noticed how _adult_ he was all the time. "That's good, I suppose. Just wanted to make sure…"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

_It's better than yelling_, Harry thought, _at least no one looks scared of you._

"Well, I'm happy about that, wish I could say the same." His sad grin made Harry feel horrible for lying. "I suppose we should be off then, I'm sure the Weasleys would like to get some sleep."

Harry's eyes widened with confusion as Lupin pulled out a small wrapped box from his inside pocket.

"Er…the Weasleys? Wh-what?"

Lupin laughed softly, his eyes betraying the genuine sound of it.

"It's a Portkey, Harry; we're going to the Burrow."

Harry had been more surprised that they were using a Portkey to get to the Burrow than the fact that they were actually _going_ to the Burrow.

"But, I thought the Order couldn't risk unauthorized Portkeys?" Harry asked, though he wasn't sure why he was worried—he was getting out of here, he should be willing to get there as soon as possible.

Lupin took Harry's wrist in his hand and put it on the box.

"After the chaos at the Ministry, Fudge is…being _much_ more lenient with us." He peered down at the watch on his hand, clicking his tongue with each passing second, "Three, two, _one_."

Immediately, Harry felt the tugging at his navel and he shut his eyes because of the nauseating feeling traveling by Portkey brought him. It didn't last as long as his last travel had, and he landed pretty well for not have practiced in a while.

"Well, look who it is," the familiar voice of one of the Weasley twins chided. Harry's eyes blinked open and were greeted by a crowd of redheads.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley rushed over first, the twins remained in the doorway of the kitchen, Bill stood up from the sofa, and Ginny sat at the bottom of the staircase, dead asleep. Harry noticed immediately that Ron was no where to be seen.

"It's wonderful to have you back home, Harry," Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, releasing him from his hug. "Are you hungry? I have leftovers from dinner, do you want anything?"

"Mum, it's_midnight_," Bill said through a yawn, ruffling up Harry's hair. Lupin nodded slightly, checking his watch.

"I should be going, Dumbledore gave me fifteen minutes to be back, or they're sending out the guard—wouldn't want Moody running about, eh?"

The older wizard looked down at Harry, smiling softly. Harry felt slightly uncomfortable, knowing that Lupin was quite aware of his lie. He wasn't sure why the guilt of it was weighing so heavily, but he couldn't apologize or reveal his feelings in front of almost all the Weasleys.

"I'll see you soon, Harry, have fun. That gift is from the Order." Lupin put his hand out and Harry shook it vigorously. With a slight bow of his head, Remus Lupin waved goodbye and disappeared with a _crack!_

"All right, let's get to sleep now, right?" Mr. Weasley said, eyeing the twins carefully. Fred and George rolled their eyes and disappeared with two loud cracks and a puff of green smoke that formed the words: "Make Apparition Stylish! Try Weasley's Wizard Wheezes' Puff-fo'-Pop!"

"Bill, would you please wake up Ginny? The poor dear…" Mrs. Weasley commented, ushering Harry towards the staircase. The youngest Weasley hadn't stirred, and didn't move when Harry and her mother stepped by her. ("'ello? Gin?" Bill asked as he tried to wake her up. "Mmmm, geroff!" the girl mumbled.)

"All of your belongings will be shipped here later tonight; you'll be staying in Ron's room," Mrs. Weasley noted as they made their way past the third floor.

"Er, where _is_ Ron?" Harry asked. Mrs. Weasley frowned and gave him a soft push, telling him to continue up the stairs.

"He wanted to stay up, dear," she said, making sure Harry knew it wasn't Ron's wish to not greet him, "and made us _promise_ to wake him up a bit before you arrived…but he hasn't been getting _any_ sleep. Don't tell, but I think he's been having nightmares."

Harry frowned, knowing that Ron very rarely had nightmares. After sharing a bedroom with him for most of the past five years of his life, this new information saddened Harry greatly, just like everything else in the world seemed to.

"Your bed is already done, sweetheart, I'll see you in the morning." Mrs. Weasley wrapped Harry up in a tight hug, holding on a bit longer than she would have normally. Harry appreciated it, but it just made the pain he was feeling over Ron's nightmares even worse.

Harry knew what the cause of the nightmares was, and if he were wrong, he'd eat a basket load of Hagrid's famous biscuits. The Department of Mysteries was the cause of many of _his_ nightmares, and he was sure that Ron had lived through horrors that Harry couldn't begin to fathom. That time when they were separated had been long and immensely frightening for Harry, so he could only imagine what Ron had seen.

He entered the room quietly and slipped onto his cot quickly to not wake up his friend. Ron was rolled away from him and smothered under a violent orange sheet. His room hadn't changed since the last time Harry had been over, making the young wizard realize that he hadn't been in the Burrow in around two years. How had he not missed it more?

It wasn't more than twenty minutes after Harry fell asleep that it happened, scaring Harry more than anything he had ever seen.

"Where are they? Ginny—did you see?"

Harry groaned slightly, not realizing what had woken him up. He remained hidden under his covers, the sheet pulled tightly around his head.

"Neville? Harry? Oh Merlin, _where's Harry_?"

At this, Harry's heart skipped a beat and he sat up, turning to look over at Ron. His friend was sitting up, his head bowed over and his fists clenching his orange sheet. The moon that was shining through the window illuminated his pale face and it was a remarkably eerie scene.

"Ron," Harry hissed, sliding off the cot. He was almost afraid to touch him because of the shocked expression on his friend's face.

"Where is he? Where's--" Ron's face took on a look of total horror, "where's Hermione? She's not _here_? Hermione? _Hermione_!"

Harry took his friend's shoulders in his hands and shook him rather roughly, making Ron's scrunched shut-eyes snap open with a glazed dizziness. The two boys stared at each other for a few moments before Ron finally blinked and looked away.

"Was I having a nightmare?"

Harry bit his tongue and nodded, walking backwards to sit on his cot. It was odd; this must be the feeling Ron always had when he woke Harry up from his constant nightmares, a feeling of helplessness and worry.

"Sorry, er…was it, bad?" Ron asked, looking sheepish.

"Yeah, I think it was when we got separated."

Ron grimaced, rubbing his forearm. Harry noticed that he was wearing a long sleeved pajama top even in the heat of the summer.

"Your scars still hurting?"

Ron simply nodded and continued to rub his arm. The two sat in silence for a few more minutes until Harry thought it was long enough to try and go back to sleep. He lay back down and pulled the sheet over his shoulders, turning over to face away from Ron.

"It was the worst night of my life," Ron murmured.

Harry froze, his eyes shooting open. He didn't turn around, hoping that Ron would think he should go back to sleep.

"I had absolutely no idea what was going on."

Harry cursed silently, and rolled over to look at his friend. Ron was still in the same position he had been in before, frozen in a snapshot of his own misery.

"You had disappeared, but we…the Order, they stuck us in this waiting room thing with these huge vases of fluffy pink flowers. They were the ugliest things I've ever seen…"

"Ron, go to sleep…"

"Luna was leaning against the wall, her dazed look intensified by a million," Ron continued, as if he hadn't heard Harry's pleas, "Ginny was on the sofa with her ankle on a pillow and Neville couldn't let go of his nose. I don't know how long I had been unconscious, but I woke up with such a headache that I thought I had died…"

Harry watched as Ron's eyes closed for a second, opening quickly and filled with unshed tears. He was trembling, his breathing scratchy.

"Then I saw _her_, and I…I…everything disappeared. They had just left her there, out of the way of everything, no one helping her or watching her, just _there_," he choked, swallowing hard. Harry watched as Ron's clenched fists shook. "I stumbled over to her but I fell because I was still woozy and Luna had to help me stand up, but I was _furious_ because no one was helping her, they had just left her so _alone_…"

He paused, taking a short breath. Ron seemed to be holding in tears and his shoulders racked with the cries he wasn't going to release. Harry didn't know what to do; he had never consoled anyone but Hermione before. This wasn't supposed to happen; Ron was supposed to hide it just like him.

"G'night, Harry." Ron didn't look over as he fell back down to his pillow, his eyes shut immediately. Harry watched in amazement as his friend's breathing became calm and relaxed, indicating he was asleep.

The young wizard continued to watch his friend for as long as he could fight his droopy eyelids, and when he lost the battle and woke the next morning, he would be glad that he hadn't dreamed at all.


	2. Love and Betrayal

**Chapter 2- Love and Betrayal**

"Oy, _Harry_!"

Mumbling a few choice words under his breath, Harry managed to untangle himself from the knot of blankets he had wrapped around his body during the night. Standing over him was Ron, clad only in his pajama bottoms, his hair pointy and sticking up in every direction.

"When did you get here?" the redhead asked happily, though obviously still sleepy. The sun that was streaming through the room indicated that it was later on in the morning, and Harry was itching to feign sleep once.

"What d'you mean when did I get here?" Harry groaned, sitting up and pushing Ron away. He rubbed his eyes, trying to get all the sleep out of them, after the talk, he had fallen asleep like a rock, "Last night, of course."

Ron frowned, falling to his knees to search for his robes (a sleeve was sticking out from under the bed). He tugged and pulled it out from something that went _clunk_ and fell onto his behind, causing a big _thud_. Harry laughed and Ron elbowed his friend's cot.

"Figures, I knew Mum wouldn't wake me up, she's such a bloody…_mother_." His head disappeared as he managed to get the very wrinkled blue robes over his head.

"But you knew I was here last night, we talked." Harry threw his legs over the bed, his feet hitting the cold wooden floor and making him shiver. Ron looked back up at his friend suspiciously,

"I would _think_ I'd remember that."

Harry's eyes narrowed as Ron stood up, running a hand through his hair. It seemed much longer than Harry had remembered, it went way past his ears now, and Ron also was growing hair in other places on his face,

"You can't even remember to _shave_," Harry taunted, finding his glasses on the nearby nightstand. Ron turned a brilliant shade of red and gave Harry a good flick to the side of the head before laughing and edging towards the door.

"C'mon, Mum's got breakfast going," he said, rubbing his stomach in a humorous manner, "maybe we could get in some Quidditch before the sun gets too hot?"

Harry nodded in agreement and told Ron to meet him down at breakfast while he got himself settled. He noticed all of his belongings placed strategically along the side of Ron's room, and he figured that a very stealthy Auror (that excluded Tonks immediately) or Mrs. Weasley and her motherly ways had brought them up to the highest room in the house.

As he dug through his trunk for a pair of decently smelling and not-that-wrinkled robes, he wondered how Ron couldn't remember the monologue he had given last night. It would be extremely odd for his friend to block out all of his nightmares, but then again, that could be the reason they were recurring—he couldn't get over them because he didn't know they were happening.

...

Breakfast was already being served when Harry made his way down the steps with his Firebolt ready, and the occupants of the table surprised him quite a bit. Ron was there, and so were Ginny and Bill, but also sitting at the table and looking quite at home, were Luna Lovegood and Fleur Delacour.

Everyone looked up and greeted Harry a warm welcome, but his surprised expression wasn't missed by any,

"Where are my manners," Bill said, standing up and wiping his mouth with a napkin, "Harry, I'm sure you remember Fleur?"

The beautiful blonde stood and sent a radiating smile towards Harry, putting her hand out to shake his vigorously,

"'ow are you 'arry?"

"Fine," he answered softly, still in slight shock and now with the wonderful feeling he used to get around the part-Veela swirling around his head. Bill grinned madly and he nudged her, making the girl blush.

"Harry, have you heard?" he asked; the eldest Weasley looked giddy. Harry noticed that Mrs. Weasley had stopped scrambling eggs, her face bright with excitement as she watched the conversation. "We're engaged!"

The young wizard's mouth dropped as Fleur, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley all squealed in delight. Ron rolled his eyes and continued to slice up his bacon and Luna stared at her bright…_orange_ fingernails with her ever-dreamy gaze.

Harry noticed immediately, now that he knew of the engagement, the diamond ring on Fleur's left hand, and he was quite impressed with Bill's selection. It sparkled in the morning light and had an Egyptian hieroglyphics around the band. Harry supposed they meant something, and he thought that was a very nice personalization.

"Congratulations!" he managed, sitting down at the table. Fleur beamed and fell into Bill's arms and Mrs. Weasley hurried over with Harry's breakfast. She patted him on the head for no apparent reason and wiped her eyes as she went back to the stove.

"They sprung it on us a few days ago," Ron said, gagging slightly at the mushy faces the couple was making at each other, "would've told you about it, but figured you'd like to find out in person?" He shrugged, not exactly caring. Ginny, on the other hand, looked almost as radiant as Fleur.

"They're going to have it at the end of the summer, here! In our backyard!" she clapped her hands together; Harry had never seen her this happy, "It's going to be _beautiful_!"

"We figured its better now then never," Bill said, his voice taking on a slightly sad tone. Harry nodded, wondering if his parents had thought the same thing. They had to have been young when he was born, so even younger when they had gotten married. Had they been thinking like Bill and Fleur? If they didn't get married when they did, they would never have the chance?

He poked his eggs, feeling bad for his parents; it seems like he found something to add to his list of 'terrible things that happened in their lives' almost everyday.

"It's going to be very simple," Mrs. Weasley said with a slight huff, "I offered to arrange anything they wanted, but they told me absolutely not!"

"Because we do not want you to…eh, what ees eet called, Beel?" Fleur turned to her fiancée for help, and Harry noted that her English sounded _much_ better than it had in fourth year.

"Go insane?" Ron interjected, making sure he avoided his mother's gaze. The table laughed and even Mrs. Weasley forced a smile.

"It's just going to be family and a few friends," Bill said, slinging his arm around Fleur's shoulders, "then we're off to Paris for some…business."

Ron choked on his bacon, Ginny ducked her head down so far that her hair almost fell into the syrup, and Luna burst out in high-pitched laughter. Harry was too shocked at Bill's statement to do _anything_.

"For zee Order," Fleur added, noticing the innuendo her fiancée had created. She slapped him on the arm and giggled in a very odd way. Ron caught Harry's eye and the two boys tried to control their laughter, and Harry kicked his friend under the table.

"Oh," Luna's voice quipped through the laughter, "happy birthday, Harry."

The whole table groaned and Harry flushed. Everyone looked very upset at this comment and he wasn't sure whether to be offended or curious.

"Er…thanks?"

"No, no, we're very happy for you, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, coming around and putting her hands on Harry's shoulders, "it's just…"

"We sort of…"Ginny shrugged uncomfortably, "had something _planned_."

"Oh…" Harry smiled, wondering what it could be, though he had a very good idea of what it was. The picture he had gotten that night was a very good indication, and he hoped that a party was what they had been planning; he had never had one, and had always wondered what it would be like.

"So sorry," Luna said, though she didn't sound very sorry. She didn't sound very sarcastic, either, "you should have informed me, Ginny, you _know_ I've been in Sweden. I've been quite busy with my Crumple-Horned Snorkacks."

Ron kept his eyes locked onto his plate, but Harry could tell by the redness of his friend's ears that he was forcing himself not to laugh. Bill and Fleur exchanged confused glances, and Harry just shook his head at them.

"Yes, you'll have to let me see them one day," Ginny responded; she didn't look at all fazed by Luna ("But you _know_ they're invisible!" Luna retorted). She stood up, taking her plate to the sink, Luna following after her.

"Mum, we're going to the pond, is that okay?" Ginny didn't wait for a response as she pulled off her robes to reveal her blue bathing suit. Harry's face flushed and he turned away; _Ginny _really_ shouldn't do that_, he thought.

The two girls left, and after finally finishing breakfast, Harry and Ron made their way outside as well, their broomsticks in hand.

"Luna's been over every day since she got back from Sweden," Ron said as he kicked off the ground. Harry followed right away, but he suddenly just felt like flying instead of playing a game.

"She lives near here?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, in the town. She's been friends with Ginny for ages; they've just like…_bonded_ now."

Harry nodded in understanding as they flew towards the pond. He immediately spotted the girls, Ginny in her blue bathing suit and Luna in her orange polka dotted bathing suit. Harry couldn't help but cringe at how the colors clashed. The boys landed on the murky bank of the pond nearest the girls. The girls were laughing and splashing each other, something that looked really fun in the heat of July.

"I suddenly don't feel like flying," Ron said with a laugh, taking of his robes. He wore regular shorts and a long sleeve t-shirt underneath and as he trod into the pond, it seemed like he didn't care about getting them wet. Harry followed his suit and the four spent a refreshing hour and a half splashing, diving, and keeping cool.

...

They walked back to The Burrow in a very slow pace so they would dry up. Harry noticed for the first time that Luna was a bit like normal girls, she and Ginny hadn't stopped talking since the boys had landed by the lake. Even though they were discussing the difference between dirt and soil, it was still in the quick paced fashion most girls are experts at.

They stood on the porch of the back door for a few more minutes before they entered the house, making sure that they weren't going to drip a tremendous amount of water on the floor. Mrs. Weasley would surely have their heads.

"Right, I'm going to roast if I don't get out of the sun," Ginny laughed, pushing the door open. The other three followed her suit, and they all immediately noticed how empty the house seemed.

"Oh crud," Ron moaned, heading towards the fridge.

"You _can't_ still be hungry, Ron!" Ginny scolded, wringing her wet hair into the sink. Her brother glared at her and ripped a pink note off the fridge.

"I'm not going to _eat_, look, Mum left a note."

Harry and the girls rushed over to Ron and looked over his shoulder (or around him, Ron was much taller than the three) as he read the note:

Kids— 

_ I'm so sorry I didn't tell you in person, we just got an urgent message from RL. We all had to go, please stay inside once you come in, and lock all the doors and windows. We'll be back as soon as possible._

_ ---Mum_

"Well bloody hell," Ron muttered, throwing the letter onto the table, "must've been really important if they couldn't rush out and tell us they were leaving."

"Maybe they thought we'd follow, or something," Harry suggested, feeling guilty. His stomach twisted at the thought of something dangerous happening, he hated not knowing what was going on. Ginny shoved him in the arm, and when he turned to look at her in confusion, he rolled her eyes; it made him feel a bit better.

"Do you think they will tell you what happened?" Luna asked, wrapping her hair in a very wet and frizzy bun on the top of her head. She stuck her wand in the bun to make it stay. Her large eyes looked mildly interested, if not in how informed the youngest Weasleys were, but in the 'business' itself.

"We only hear things from the twins," Ron said over his shoulder as he left the kitchen and into the living room, drying his hair with a towel, "so if _they_ know, _we'll_…"

Harry, Ginny, and Luna waited for Ron to finish his sentence, but his voice trailed off into an eerie silence. Ginny immediately looked at Harry with her eyes full of worry, and his eyebrows furrowed, following Ron into the living room.

He found Ron standing in the middle of the living room, standing as frozen as an icicle and his fists clenched.

"Ron?"

Harry came around Ron to look at his face, but he didn't have the expression Harry had been expecting. Ron's eyes were narrowed into something that looked remarkably like the way he normally glared at Malfoy. This surprised Harry and slowly, he followed his friend's gaze.

It was focused on the grandfather clock the Weasleys had, where it indicated where each of the Weasleys were. Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Fleur (Mrs. Weasley must have made this adjustment recently) were all pointed to 'business' and Ron, Ginny, and Harry's hands (Harry smiled slightly as he saw his own hand) were pointed at home. Because it was so crowded, Harry barely noticed the fourth hand that was pointed at home.

"Ron, who else is home?" it was Ginny who asked this; she had realized what had caused Ron's sudden stop.

The doorbell rang. All four turned to the door, Ron's fists clenched.

"It's Percy."

...

"Aren't you going to open the door?"

Luna's voice broke through the silence that had devoured the room. Harry ignored her and left Ron's side, slamming himself onto the sofa.

Why was Percy here _now_? There was no reason for him to be here today, the wedding wasn't for another three weeks. Was this supposed to be some reconciliation thing? Couldn't he have done that when his father was in the hospital? Why would he show up unexpectedly? Mrs. Weasley hadn't said anything; she would've warned her two youngest if there was going to be a surprise visit.

"We can't," Ron growled, turning away from the door and towards the stairs. His face had turned a scary shade of purple, one that he only got when he was in trouble with Snipe or when someone was threatening Harry or Hermione. Ginny grabbed his wrist, pleading,

"Ron, we _can_!" There was hope in eyes, and it was obvious that she wanted her brother back in her life, "Let's…let's let him in, maybe he's here to reconcile…"

"_No_, Ginny!" Ron swirled around and he tried to look at his sister with a bit of compassion, "If we let him in, I'm going to _kill _him."

Ron's soft eyes for his sister turned into something of almost complete hatred, and Harry was close to believing that he would actually follow through with his statement. Ginny wasn't fazed, though, and she continued to pull her brother away from the stairs.

"Ron, _please_! Maybe he's come to say he's sorry!"

"It _is_ really hot outside," Luna noted. Again, the three ignored her.

"I'm not going to deal with him when I can't use my wand!" Ron exclaimed, managing to throw Ginny off of him. He stood on the third step, looking down at the rest of them in the living room, "If he comes into this house, I _swear_ he will be leaving with a limp!"

"As much as I want that," Harry interrupted, sitting up from his position on the couch, "your mum will find out about this, like she always does, and you'll be in trouble with her if you leave him out there." Ron's stance faltered and Harry knew he had made a point in that thick skull of Ron's. "Just let him in, see what he wants, and then that's it."

"We don't have to discuss _anything_," Ginny said, almost as if it was a promise. Ron still looked furious, but he nodded, throwing himself onto the armchair in the corner of the living room.

The doorbell rang again, and Luna floated across the living room,

"_I'll _get it," she said in her singsong voice. The other three watched with eager anticipation as she turned the doorknob, and Ginny had to keep a hand on Ron's shoulder as the open door revealed their brother Percy.

He had only slightly changed in appearance; he had grown a small mustache and wore smaller spectacles. His hair was parted perfectly down the middle, his normally wavy hair flattened against his head. There was an odd familiarity with his new choice of dress, and Harry couldn't remember if the man had dressed like this before.

"Hello Percy," Luna said, her eyes staring up at the much taller wizard, "I remember you being Head Boy, you were quite the uptight prat." Luna tilted her head to the side her eyes narrowed as she examined him. Ginny cringed as Ron smirked wickedly, gripping his chair. Percy didn't seem to enjoy Luna's welcome and he simply nodded at her as he stepped into the house.

His eyes landed on Harry and Percy managed a small nod before he turned his eyes on Ron and Ginny. They lit up slightly, but his business-like manner returned immediately.

"Hello Ginny, Ron. Is Mother here?"

Harry found it extremely odd that Percy talked to them as if nothing had changed, as if he had just come home from work. Ron and Ginny seemed to feel the same way; they just stared with wide eyes and mouths at their brother, looking genuinely confused. Percy noticed their shock and waved his hand in a 'hurry-up' gesture.

"Excuse me, did you hear me?"

"We heard you," Ron snarled, standing up. Harry hadn't noticed it, but Ron was now quite tall; he was at least an inch or two taller than Percy when he stood at full height. Ron took advantage of his large figure as he towered over his brother. "What do you want?"

"I need to speak to Mother."

"_Why_?"

Ginny grabbed Ron's arm again, sending him an intense look of warning. Harry gripped the cushions of the couch, ready to break up anything that happened; Percy didn't notice the tension, but Ron was giving off enough to knock a house down.

Percy sighed and turned away, heading towards the kitchen. He pulled an envelope out of an inside pocket and placed it on the table,

"I had wished to respond to a letter that was sent to me, but seeing as The Burrow is only accepting specific owls, I had to deliver it by hand." He looked slightly annoyed, and Harry smiled inwardly; that must have meant that Hermes, Percy's owl, was being blocked.

"Why would Mum send a letter to _you_?" Ron said angrily, staying in Percy's way. His brother released a sigh and did not seem at all moved by Ron's tone of voice.

"It wasn't exactly Mother who sent it to me, but I assumed she would be the one in charge." Percy nodded slightly at his brother and made to move around, but Ron stuck one of his very long arms out and grabbed Percy's arm.

"In charge of _what_?" he interrogated. Percy shut his eyes tightly, and when they opened he looked extremely annoyed.

"Ronald, let _go_; I need to get back to work."

"Is _that_ what they call it up there at the Ministry? _Work_?" Harry said smoothly, leaning back into the sofa and crossing his legs in a triumphant sort of way. Luna's eyes lit up, but she seemed to know to not laugh at this moment so she covered her mouth with her hand. Percy shot a glare at Harry, his lip curled,

"I'm assuming that _he's_ invited as well--just another reason for me not to attend."

Ginny gasped and Ron's grip on his brother's arm noticeably tightened. Harry sat up at the sudden movement, but didn't understand and neither did Luna, who was looking on with a vague sense of interest.

"You're…you're not coming?" Ginny asked softly, stepping in front of the older brother. She peered up at him like a wounded animal, her eyes wide and glassy. Percy's gaze seemed to soften at her voice, but he nodded firmly. Ron then pushed him away, looking disgusted,

"You're not going to come to your own brother's _wedding_?"

Harry's eyes widened and suddenly he wanted to whip out his wand and hex Percy until he was permanently purple. First he didn't show at the hospital for his father, the man who raised him, and now he dared to sever the relationship from his family _completely_?

Percy stared up at the ceiling, breathing heavily through his nose,

"_No_, I'm not. Why in Merlin's name would I want to see my brother throw his life away on some twittering blonde Veela?"

Ginny squeaked in indignation and Ron released a growl that reminded Harry of Dudley when he couldn't beat his latest Playstation game.

"She's actually quite interesting," Ginny said with a strangled voice, her eyes narrowed, "If you had bothered to keep in touch with your _family_, maybe you would know."

"If I had bothered, maybe my family wouldn't be the mess it _is_," Percy snapped, and a second later he was on the floor because he had been tackled by Ron.

Ginny screamed and Luna let go a surprised sort of gasp. Harry was on his feet immediately, yanking Ron's arm as far back as possible before he was able to punch Percy. The young wizard had the strong feeling to let go of his best friend for a few seconds, but he knew that beating Percy to a pulp wouldn't really give Ron any satisfaction.

Harry and Ginny (Luna had taken on the task of dragging Percy away) managed to pull Ron away, but with his thrashing arms, it took more than five minutes before they were able to calm him down.

"You slimy, _no good--_" Ron cursed a bit, but no one but Percy seemed to mind, "how _dare _you come into this house! Get OUT OF HERE! _OUT_!"

The older brother shook Luna off of him and straightened out his robes and then patted down his hair. He didn't seem at all frazzled by the tackle, except for the lopsided glasses that rested on his nose.

"Give Mother the letter, will you?" and he disappeared with a _crack!_

__

"THAT JERK! THAT DAMN _TRAITOR_!" Ron released a roar of anger and stomped up the stairs all the way up to his room. When he slammed the door the whole house shook, and the three left in the living room stood in silence.

"Well, that went pretty well," Luna observed. Harry and Ginny slowly turned their heads to look at her. The blonde girl shrugged, "He didn't kill him, at least."

Harry let out a soft laugh and fell back into the armchair. Ginny remained standing, rubbing one arm with the other. Her face was full of hurt, but she smiled at Luna's joke and then at Harry.

"I'm going to go get changed," she said softly, heading up the stairs without waiting for a response. Luna stood for a moment, almost looking lost, and then followed Ginny up the stairs in a quickened pace as if she had just realized something.

Harry knew that he was still a bit wet, but he couldn't find the energy to go the four flights of stairs to Ron's room, just to hear him berate his brother and maybe smash a few objects. The Weasleys' living room was dark and cool, a nice breeze streaming through the house, and it was more comfortable than listening to Ron scream.

He hoped Mrs. Weasley's reaction to the letter wouldn't be awful, Harry wasn't sure if he'd be able to keep his composure if he saw how much pain that berk of a son brought her. He would have to be tied up to stop him from chasing after Percy and killing him. The Weasleys didn't deserve such torment, from anyone, especially one of their own. Maybe they would be better off without Percy in their lives.

He tried to control his breathing, which had quickened in the scramble to stop the fight. The young wizard closed his eyes and let his damp hair stick to his forehead as he fell into a light sleep.

...

"Er…Harry?" a soft voice called. Harry's eyes fluttered open and Ginny Weasley smiled down at him. He sat up immediately, frantically searching for his glasses,

"Ginny! You're not supposed to be here!"

The girl gave him a very odd look, and for the first time since she had woken him, Harry realized she wasn't in her school robes.

"Not supposed to be…_where_?" she asked, standing back and putting her hands on her hips. She looked incredibly amused, her eyes twinkling.

Harry blushed furiously and shook his head, finding his glasses on the table beside the chair. He noticed that Ginny had changed and that it was much later in the day, how long had he been out?

"Er…I thought we were in the dormitory," he revealed sheepishly, making Ginny laugh in a very giggly sort of way. She had a pretty laugh, Harry noticed, and began to laugh along with her, realizing that Ginny would _never_ be in his dorm to wake him up.

"You've been out for a while, we didn't think to wake you," she said, pulling some hair into a ponytail. "Everyone's out in the garden, it's almost dinner time."

Harry was quite amazed that he had slept for so long in a not very comfortable position, but then he supposed that he hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, and the exercise he had gotten from the pond and holding back Ron could have tired him out.

"You and I are the only ones that can fall asleep in that chair," Ginny said over her shoulder as she lead him out to the back, "Ron says it gives him back spasms, or something."

"Ron's outside too?" Harry asked, noticing that he didn't feel anything in his back.

Ginny turned around and began walking backwards, staring at Harry in a mischievous manner.

"Oh yes, he's a bit…_occupied_, at the moment."

Harry couldn't ask what exactly _occupied_ meant, because Ginny opened the back door and the entire garden erupted in sound,

"SURPRISE!"


	3. Celebrations

...

Chapter 3- Celebrations

Harry had known that they were going to throw a party, but it still didn't stop him from reeling back from shock. There were so many people and colors that Harry couldn't believe that something of this extravagance had been set up for _him_ while he was sleeping less than a few meters away!

"Bloody hell," he muttered, knowing he looked like he had just seen a Basilisk. Actually, he had, and that hadn't shocked him as much as all the people there.

Mrs. Weasley bustled over to him through the crowd, wrapping him up in a big hug,

"This was the thing we had planned," she said unnecessarily, "are you happy?"

Harry nodded immediately and was then being pushed by the Weasley twins towards a round table, where a large birthday cake was sitting. It was in the shape of a Snitch, and Harry could hardly believe the effort that had been put into it.

"I-I—"

"Oh shut it, Harry!" said Fred, who was grinning madly in his purple and blue striped suit. 

"Yeah, let's just get this party started!" George roared, his red and orange striped suit grabbing _a lot_ of attention.

"One! Two! Three!"

A chorus of 'Happy Birthday' began, and the young wizard flushed because of all the attention he was receiving. When the song was finished, there was a round of applause, and Harry finally was able to look around at who was attending his party.

Of course, almost all the Weasleys were there, Fleur, Luna, and all of his dorm mates. The Quidditch Chasers, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, and Alicia Spinnet had come, George Weasley talking it up with Alicia and Fred with Angelina. Remus Lupin and Tonks had managed to take a break from their time at the Order, and what really surprised him was,

"_Hermione_?"

She smiled brightly and rushed over to Harry, enveloping him in a tight hug. He hadn't expected to see her so early in the summer, seeing as how she had made it a point to spend as much time with her family as possible (or so she said in her letters).

"_Harry_! I'm so glad that they did this for you! Isn't it _wonderful_? Ron told me about it a week ago; I think it was awfully nice of the Weasleys, don't you?"

"Y-yes, and if you stopped choking me, I could tell them," Harry hinted. Hermione flushed and let go of him, backing up and into Ron.

"It didn't take a lot not to spoil it," Ron said with a laugh, "I totally forgot about it actually, until Mum dragged me out here to set up tables and chairs."

"It's beautiful, Ron, you all did an _amazing_ job; I wish I could've helped!" Hermione was unusually happy, but Harry didn't want to ruin her mood by asking what had her so excited.

"Yeah, when Mum's mad, she usually pays extra attention to things…" Ron's ears burnt and Harry knew that his mother must've found out about Percy.

Hermione frowned, crossing her arms,

"I _still_ don't see why he had to come to the house; couldn't he have just used the fire network?"

Harry was about to agree when Neville and Seamus attacked Ron, spraying Fred and George's new 'Freckles-Be-Gone' on his face. Harry and Hermione doubled over in laughter as the freckles on Ron's face literally wiggled and jumped off, disappearing into the blades of grass. Ron roared in anger and chased the two all the way down to the pond, where the three ended up with very soggy pants.

As the chaos ensued, Ginny Weasley made her way over with Dean Thomas' arm draped over her shoulder. Harry found this somewhat unnerving as he said his hellos, but Hermione was sending Ginny secret 'girl' looks every time Dean looked away.

"We should start up a game of football," Dead commented, noticing the vastness of the Weasleys' yard.

"With_ these_ testosterone driven fools?" Ginny exclaimed, looking shocked, "Someone will end up with a black eye!"

"That's where the fun is, love," Dean retorted, kissing her forehead.

Harry decided to go and find Ron, then, and Hermione tagged along ("They're going to get mushy, and I really don't need to see it."). The two found Ron making a ruckus with Neville and Seamus, throwing seaweed and lily pads at each other.

"_Honestly_," Hermione huffed, but Harry could see she was having a hard time hiding her smile. They caught Ron's eye, and with all the strength he could muster, he threw a lily pad that smacked Harry on his bare arm. Neville and Seamus cheered and Hermione squeaked, backing away. "Ronald Weasley, do_ not_ even _think_ it!"

It appeared that he had already thought it, though, because Ron was now trudging through the water with his hands clasped around some of the soggiest seaweed Harry had ever seen. Harry was used to Ron's antics to know to run away, but Hermione seemed to think that her scolding would stop Ron from attacking her.

"Her_mi_one," Harry said in a warning tone, tugging at her arm. She shrugged him off though, standing her ground as Ron closed in. Soon, Ron towered over Hermione, looking down at her with a very wicked grin as he held the seaweed over her head. She stared right back at him though, and it was an intense few moments, the only sounds made were that of Neville's soggy socks.

"Not worth it," Ron finally said, and he flung the seaweed over his head, hitting Seamus right in the face. Hermione grinned triumphantly, but Ron would not let her win completely. Swiftly, he caught her cheeks in his hands—his very wet, _sticky_ hands.

Of course, she shrieked and hit him, and Harry and Ron had a mighty long laugh as she attempted to pull the strands of hair off of her face (they had stuck to her cheeks).

"_You_!" she had repeatedly screamed, pointing a finger at Ron but only smacking him on the arm. "Why—I—_YOU!_"

"Let's get back to the party," Ron said after he had finally stopped laughing.

Hermione was still red in the face, but she didn't start a fight (even if it was only because there were so many people present). It actually seemed like she had forgotten about the entire incident, the rest of the night went off with a hitch…except for that wad of seaweed Ron found in his cake.

...

"That was great," Ron said as he collapsed on his bed.

The night had been long, but after Neville fell asleep face first in the cake, everyone decided to leave. Hermione was staying for the rest of the summer, so the trio and Ginny stayed up and played a bit of chess until Mrs. Weasley sent them all up to bed.

Harry nodded in agreement, ogling the tower of gifts.

"I've never received so many presents," he said, feeling a bit nervous about opening them. Ron grinned and clambered over,

"Well, I'll help you through them then!"

It took them a while, and the pile was now full of a wide variety of gifts (though he hadn't dared open the one from Fred and George, he'd wait until he was allowed to use magic with that one), but they finally reached the last gift, which happened to be the Portkey that brought Harry to The Burrow.

"From the Order?" Ron asked, clearly intrigued. Harry nodded and carefully tore the sky blue paper. After it was all gone, there was a little yellow note attached:

_Dear Harry,_

_ This is a keepsake box for all the things you hold dear--we've started your collection._

_ From, _

_Your Friends_

He smiled gently at how they had signed, and pulled off the note, "Oh, wow…" he whispered. The top of the box had been engraved with a simple, but distinguished 'HP.'

"Well? Open it," Ron pushed eagerly, also impressed with the craftsmanship of the box. Harry nodded and lifted the lid, making the box creak slightly.

The inside lining was a Gryffindor scarlet velvet. Sitting in the middle was a simple picture that Harry had forgotten he had taken. It had been only seven months ago, but now that he saw it the moment became fresh in his mind.

It was Sirius and Harry at Christmas, in front of the Christmas tree he had helped decorate. Sirius had managed to dangle a bunch of silver garland around Harry's neck, and the picture versions of the two were playing as if they were trying to choke one another, a jubilant grin on each of their faces.

Harry didn't notice that his hands were shaking until Ron put a hand on his arm, sending him a sad smile,

"It's a really nice picture, mate."

The young wizard nodded, hoping that his glasses were hiding the stinging in his eyes. As he tried to avoid his friend's gaze, his eyes landed on a small package in the box. He un-wrapped the loosely tied paper and sucked in a breath as he saw a replica of the mirror he had smashed at the end of fifth year. Another note lay beneath,

_Harry,_

_ Though Prongs and Padfoot were the masters, I managed to steal a few tricks myself. Padfoot told me that he had given you Prongs' mirror. There are three mirrors here, one for you, Ron, and Hermione. I don't know why I get the feeling you need another one…though I think it's because you are so much like Prongs that it scares me. Everyone you know that works with me has one, so all you have to do is say whatever name you wish, and the mirror will make them respond. Be careful with these. _

_ --Moony_

"What's this for?" Ron asked as Harry handed him a mirror. Harry didn't look at his friend he just took his own mirror and said,

"Ron Weasley."

In an instant, Ron gasped and dropped the mirror onto the bed. He looked up at Harry in complete bewilderment.

"That is _wicked_."

"Yeah," Harry responded, though not with the zest Ron had. It seemed obvious that it was time for bed, so the boys bid their goodnights, and Harry tucked the box, picture, and mirror, deep in his trunk. He fell asleep, his last thought being that this had been his best birthday ever.

...

It was three weeks after his birthday when their Hogwarts letters arrived,

"Do the O.W.L.s results come in the letters?" Hermione asked Bill, who had shuffled into the kitchen, looking very tired. The planning for the wedding had been much more stressful that he had originally thought, even if it _was_ a very small ceremony. His hair was definitely taking a beating for it, and Mrs. Weasley was itching to tame it a bit.

Harry and Ron groaned at Hermione's question, having forgotten about the tests.

"Her_mi_one, I was having a perfectly good morning," Ron muttered, dropping his letter to the table, "and there you go ruining it. I can't open it—I'm going to die, Mum's going to _kill _me."

"Oh stop it," she nudged him with her elbow, but seemed a bit more concentrated on the letter she was opening. Hermione reached in and squealed; she had pulled out her Prefect Badge.

"Like that was a surprise?" Ginny whispered to Harry. He noticed that she had laid her letter on the table next to Ron's, looking as if she had no intention of opening it.

"Why aren't you opening your letter?" he asked, and Ginny flushed a bit. She reached for hers, shrugging unnaturally,

"No reason," she said, her flush gone as she ripped open the envelope. A bright smile expanded on her face as she too pulled out a Prefect badge.

"Hey!" Bill exclaimed, ruffling Ginny's hair, "_MUM_! GIN'S A PREFECT!"

Mrs. Weasley's shriek could be heard miles away, and soon the woman appeared, her eyes wide and glittery. Ginny had her back to her mother, and she cringed slightly as her mother wrapped her arms around her, hugging her tightly.

"How _wonderful_! Oh, Ginny! My little Ginerva is all grown up!"

"_MUM!_" Ginny shrieked, looking quite horrified. Bill and Ron's eyes widened to the size of Quaffles and slowly made their way out of the kitchen, while Harry and Hermione stood, looking rather confused. Mrs. Weasley noticed her mistake, and patted Ginny on the head,

"Dear, there's no need to embarrassed of your name."

"There is when it's Ginerva," Ron's voice cackled from the living room, Bill's muffled guffaws could be heard too. Hermione covered her mouth and Harry wanted to let out a laugh, not because of Ginny's name, but because Ron had dared to tease his sister when he knew Ginny wasn't the most laid-back person in the world.

She didn't even stand, she just screamed at the top of her lungs,

"SHUT _UP _RONALD _BILIUS_ WEASLEY!"

"_HEY_!"

"Oh will you be quiet!" Mrs. Weasley sighed, it seemed like she had gone through this argument numerous times. "They're your friends, not like they're going to make fun of you for it, and I happen to think they're _beautiful_ names!" Ron stormed into the kitchen, glaring curses at Ginny,

"Oh yes Mum," he said through clenched teeth, "they're downright _gorgeous_, I'm abso_lutely_ naming my children after me."

Hermione giggled slightly behind her hands, her eyes twinkling with mirth. Ron glared at her too. Harry just chuckled and sat down, opening up his letter. No Prefect badge fell out, but a short note did, and Harry briefly thought that his collection of notes was going to be the size of a textbook this year,

_Mr. Potter,_

_ Congratulations on being named Quidditch Captain. I would have normally disclosed this information on the first day of classes, but seeing as you haven't played Quidditch on a team in a year, I believed that this would help you catch up to the other teams. Congratulations again, and let's have a repeat of last year!_

_ Sincerely,_

_ Professor McGonagall._

He stared at the letter for a few seconds before he made a sound, and it was a sound of utter disbelief and happiness. It wasn't exactly a chuckle, more of a surprised gasp, and it made everyone in the kitchen turn,

"What is it Harry? Did you do well on the O.W.L.s?" Hermione asked. Her papers were still folded up, her face looking slightly sick. He shook his head, and handed the paper to Ron. He read it quickly and then let out a 'whoop' of joy,

"He's Quidditch Captain!" The table erupted in cheer, and Harry snatched back the letter, knowing a perfect place for it.

"O.W.L.s!" Mrs. Weasley said loudly after the congratulations had finished, "Ron, let me see your report." She swooped the letter into her hands before Ron could grab it, and began opening the letter.

Harry figured that if Ron did bad, he wouldn't want everyone staring at him, so he began to unfold his results as well, feeling a bit nauseous. He knew what he needed to get into the classes to become an Auror, and the thought of not getting the grades was making Harry's stomach clench and twist. He unfolded the paper that was stamped with W.E.A. and sucked in breath,

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_ We wish to congratulate you on completing your Ordinary Wizarding Levels (O.W.L.s). The attached form is from your Head of House, indicating which classes you are going to take this upcoming year. _

_ Listed below are your grades (O-_Outstanding_ / E-Exceeds Expectation / A-Acceptable / P-Poor / D-Dreadful / T-Troll) for all the O.W.L.s you took. To receive an O.W.L. you must have passed the test with an A or higher. _

_Astronomy- D_

_Care of Magical Creatures- O_

_Charms- A_

_Defense Against the Dark Arts- O_

_Divination- P_

_Herbology- A_

History of Magic-D 

_Potions- O_

_Transfiguration- O _

_ Congratulations on your **six O.W.L.s**, and good luck with the rest of your school career. _

_ Sincerely,_

**Professor Griselda Marchbanks**

_ Head of Wizarding Examinations Authority_

Harry smiled slightly, knowing that he had passed the criteria of becoming an Auror. He was absolutely amazed at some of his grades, especially the 'O' in Potions; maybe Snape should step out of the classroom more often.

"Oh _Ronald_!" Mrs. Weasley cooed, and Harry looked up to see the results of Ron's O.W.L.s. Ron was a bright red, holding his badge, looking ready to choke, "A, O, O, O, _D_," she sounded a bit angry with the 'D' in Divination, "E, _P_," she turned around to look at him; Ron just grinned meekly, "A, and E! _Seven _O.W.L.s!" Mrs. Weasley turned around and hugged her son around the stomach, and Ron looked immensely embarrassed but proud at the same time.

"That's great, Ron!" Hermione applauded, looking rather pink. "How about you, Harry?"

"Six, but I got an O in Potions, so that makes up for everything." He laughed when Ron gasped at the grade. Hermione looked ready to burst, "Hermione, how about you?"

"O in everything!" she squeaked, "Well, E in Astronomy and Defense, but _really_, how could they have expected any of us to do well with the events of that night? And I _couldn't_ have gotten the E in Defense without you Harry, didn't I tell you that you were an excellent teacher?"

"Whatever the reason, it's absolutely extraordinary, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley interrupted, "Ten, seven, and six O.W.L.s, _plus_ a Prefect! And a wedding at the end of the week," she paused, her eyes welling up. Mrs. Weasley swiped a napkin off the table and dabbed her eyes, "Oh dear, how wonderful it all is, I-I have to tell Arthur!"

She rushed off, and Ron picked up his paper, shaking his head,

"Damn."

"What?" Hermione asked, "Shocked to see that you actually _know_ something?" Her smirk was triumphant and proud at the same time. Ron raised an eyebrow at her, grinning. With two steps he caught her and squeezed her in a big hug, Hermione squealing and turning a bright pink,

"Because of _you_! _Damn_! I got _seven_ O.W.L.s!" Harry laughed full-heartedly and rushed around the table to hug Hermione as well, who seemed rather flustered at the attention,

"W-well, don't expect it next year for the N.E.W.T.s," Hermione said, squirming out of their grasp, "you two will actually have to work!"

Ron and Harry shared a knowing look, and then burst out laughing, causing Herimone to fume for a little bit, but then laugh along with them.

"Let's go to the pond," Ginny suggested, folding up her letter neatly, her Prefect badge tucked in safely, "before Mum pulls out the photo album."

At this, Ron yelped quietly and nodded quickly, pulling Hermione towards the door,

"Last one out is a garden gnome!" he shouted, making Ginny shriek with indignation as she chased the two out the door. Harry got up to follow, but stared down at his letters before he pushed in his chair. Getting an idea, he folded up the papers and hurried up the stairs to Ron's room.

Harry flipped open his trunk and moved all of his belongings away until he found the keepsake box from the Order. He sat on his cot and opened it, putting his letters inside and pulling out his mirror. The boy didn't know why he had felt the urgency to do this, to contact Professor Lupin, but he had already spoken his name before he could think about it.

The mirror fogged up and suddenly cleared, Remus Lupin's face appearing where Harry's reflection used to be. His eyebrows were furrowed and he looked sickly, maybe the full moon was approaching.

"Harry? What's the matter?" he asked frantically.

"N-nothing." Harry shrugged, feeling a bit bad for automatically being an image of trouble. "We just got our O.W.L.s, I thought…I dunno, I thought maybe you'd like to know."

A smile slid onto Remus' face, and he released a sigh of relief,

"Of course," he said, sounding genuinely interested, "how many did you get?"

"Six. I got an O in Defense." Harry felt a smile of his own growing as Lupin's eyes took on a gaze of pride.

"Harry, that's amazing—did you show them the Patronus?"

Harry nodded and began to detail how the person administrating him had been very impressed; that they had overheard that he had actually produced one in his third year. This began a discussion on how long it had taken to get it right, then the two began chatting over various tangents brought up, and soon Ron came in, his hair soaked against his forehead; it was lunch time.

"I've got to go Professor, Mrs. Weasley has lunch ready," Harry said, feeling guilty about leaving, even after the long conversation. Lupin didn't seem hurt, though and he congratulated Harry once again on his achievement, and told him to call him up on his mirror more often,

"I'll always find time to listen, Harry, have a good day," Lupin said with one last smile before he disappeared. Harry put his mirror away in his trunk, and followed Ron down the stairs to have lunch, feeling a bit good about his decision to share his happiness.

...

The morning of the wedding, and the day before school began, was only slightly more chaotic than having a house full of Weasleys and two guests. This time, it was almost a full house of Weasleys (Charlie had Apparated in the morning before), Harry, Hermione, and about twenty French people rushing around like maniacs.

"I'm not going to move from this spot, I'll be run over," Ron hissed to Harry. The two were stationed in the living room, in a corner that was as far away from the action as possible in fear that they were going to break something or have to do some work.

"At least we look dashing in our robes," Harry said.

Harry and the four other Weasley men were ushers in the wedding; though when Fleur had chose him he had been in a complete shock. Bill then confided in him that she was still immensely grateful for his deeds during the Second Task, saving Gabrielle; she had demanded that Harry be a part of her wedding.

So, the two stood with their matching set of black robes with the matching gold trim and flower. Harry was walking down with Ginny (who hadn't made an appearance all morning) and he was slightly nervous about it, since Dean was going to be in the audience, and because…well, he never enjoyed being formal and in the spotlight.

Ron was walking with one of Fleur's many cousins, a girl by the name of Fauve, whom he hadn't met yet.

"Fauve? What kind of name is _Fauve_?" Ron had muttered when he saw the arrangements. "Let's hope she's not a bumbling _idiot_…"

A cry was heard from upstairs, and then there was a frantic race down the steps. Ron and Harry shared a terrified glance.

Ginny appeared, looking nervous. She was wearing the gold dress the bridesmaids had to wear, her hair tied into a low bun with a matching gold flower tucked in. Harry reckoned she looked rather nice. She finally spotted the boys, her eyes flashing with excitement,

"Where's your cloak, Harry?" Ron whispered as she rushed over.

"_Ron_! We just got an owl: Fauve can't make it! She splinched herself trying to get through customs!"

"Oh rats, guess that means I can take this thing off, too _bad_--"

"Don't _touch_ those robes!" Ginny's voice turned from upset to furious in a matter of milliseconds. Ron looked rather frightened. "I just wanted to tell you that you're not walking down with her, you're walking with Hermione."

If Ron's pale face could pale even more, he would have been as white as Sir. Nicholas. Harry laughed because Ron's expression was the funniest he'd ever seen: he was absolutely terrified.

"G-Gin, but she d-doesn't have a dress!" he argued, following Ginny as she turned around and started back up the stairs.

"Of _course_ she has a dress! She's going to wear _Fauve's_, Mum is fitting her right now!" She turned around, placing her hands on her hips, "You can't come up anymore."

"Oh hell, that's the _groom_!" Ron argued. Ginny flipped her wand out, pointing it right between Ron's eyes. He stepped down quickly. "Fine."

With a pretty smile Ginny skipped up the stairs and disappeared, leaving Harry and Ron alone in the living room again. Harry was still smiling because of his friend's new predicament, and Ron was still as see through as a ghost.

"Well, at least her name isn't Fauve," Harry said, clapping his hand on Ron's shoulder. Ron called him something very rude and Harry doubled over with laughter.

...

The wedding surprisingly took off without much of a hitch, and that was saying something since George had secretly locked his date in the broom closet, and the boys had frantically tried to get her out without anyone else noticing (though Ginny came close, she had wondered aloud about the muffled cries she heard "The ghoul was attached to Bill, he's so happy for him!" Fred lied quickly, ushering her out of the kitchen.).

Mrs. Weasley was blubbering before she and Bill even started down the aisle, and he was laughing quietly and trying to soothe her at the same time. Though he had refused to cut his hair (but he had taken out his dragon tooth earring, his mother had threatened to pull it out manually), the eldest Weasley son still looked incredibly handsome in his golden robes.

Charlie and the twins made it down easily enough, though Fred had set off a small explosion of confetti at the end, scaring the first few rows of guests, including Fleur's father, who cursed quietly at him in French for the rest of the night.

Ron and Hermione were next, and having gotten over his fear of her, they looked remarkably calm. Hermione looked very pretty, her curls being tamed and pulled into the same flowered bun as Ginny's, and she smiled up at Ron every so often, indicating that he must be doing things right.

Harry and Ginny were the last pair, though he wasn't sure why--maybe it had to do with Ginny being the youngest Weasley--and she was all smiles; he hadn't noticed how comfortable she seemed in big crowds.

Then came Gabrielle, Fleur's sister and the flower girl. She was just as pretty as her sister, and with a small wand she spurted bubbles and little petals, making the garden look more enchanted than it already had. She made the way for Fleur, who literally took everyone's breath away in her slim wedding gown, straight from the Muggle fashion world of Paris ("Zee witch wedding robes are just _not_ me.").

The bride was glowing and even more amazing was the look on Bill Weasley's face as he watched her come down the aisle. He seemed to be falling in love with her all over again, and Harry wondered if he would ever be able to look at a girl that way. All the girls were tearing up except for Hermione, who kept trying to hold in a smile as Ron crossed his eyes at her (Harry nudged him, noticing Mrs. Weasley sending a glare).

As soon as Fleur had made it to the stage that had been set up under the beautiful archway Mr. Weasley had constructed, the vows were said and less than twenty minutes later, Fleur Delacour was officially a Weasley.


	4. Unexpected Occurrences

**Dedicated to Corona Moon, for she is the shiz-it, yo. :D**

**Chapter 4**- Unexpected Occurrences

The reception was held under an enormous white tent, with floating candles and fairies creating a mystical atmosphere. Tables were stationed around a dance floor, and Harry and Ron sat in the farthest table from the floor.

"When do you think we can leave?" Ron asked, fiddling with the cuffs of his robes. They were an immense improvement from his lacey maroon set from the Yule Ball.

"It just started twenty minutes ago, Ron," Harry said dully, feeling the exact same way as his friend. The party was beautiful, but with a very limited amount of dancing skills and no girls around the age to even _try_ to ask, it was a bit boring.

"Where on earth is Hermione?" Ron sat up straight and stretched his neck out in search of their friend, "I haven't seen her since the ceremony!"

"That's because," a voice from behind them said. The boys turned around to see Fred Weasley, looking dashing, "George has been attempting to get her to waltz with him from the second the party started!"

Harry watched as Ron's ears boiled and he stood up, gripping the table,

"Where's the bloody prat?"

Fred looked amused, and pointed behind Ron, "They're by the drinks, better hurry—last I saw she was actually considering it."

With that, Ron turned on a heel and marched across the dance floor, bumping into Charlie and Fleur's cousin, Therese. As soon as Ron was far away enough, Fred fell into a seat and started laughing harder than Harry had ever seen him laugh. Apparently, there was something going on that Harry didn't know about.

It was then that George popped up behind Fred, looking triumphant and ready to laugh as well. Harry eyed them carefully, showing how obviously confused he was,

"Oy, Harry!" George said, shaking the boy's hand, "I was having a _very_ interesting conversation with our dear Hermione about the potions we use in some of our products, when my ickle brother Ron strode up, put his hand out to her, and asked her to dance. Glared at me too, hissed something about how I couldn't dance with her."

The twins shared a look, breaking into wicked smiles,

"Now I _wonder_ where he got _that_ idea…"

Harry bit his lip and turned to the dance floor, and lo and behold, Hermione was daintily trying to show Ron how to waltz. They were slightly awkward, but they seemed to be enjoying themselves, even if Ron was as red as a Quaffle.

"This is odd," Harry said, sitting back down. He knew that Ron fancied Hermione, in fact, he was pretty sure that everyone else in the world knew it as well, but when had his friend gotten the nerve to do something like ask her to dance?

"I think we should be named Godparents for this, don't you, George?" Fred said, conversationally, taking a sip of Ron's drink. "Why, if we hadn't lied—"

"_Stretched the truth_," George corrected, "I _was_ talking to her…just not about dancing."

Harry rolled his eyes and gazed out onto the dance floor again, looking over all of the couples and smiling faces. He wondered how big his parents' wedding had been, he had seen a few pictures, but where had it taken place? Who had come, what was their anniversary?

He sighed, thinking he'd have to write down a list of questions for Remus. The young wizard didn't know why he hadn't asked such simple questions before; one would think that he'd try to find out as much as possible about the parents he never knew.

"_Could've asked Sirius_," he thought, feeling a cloud of darkness float over his head, "_he was Dad's best man, he must've known all of those things…"_

"Hey Harry, stop brooding and dance with me!" The cheerful voice of Ginny Weasley snapped him out of his reverie, and he looked up with doubtful eyes.

"I wasn't brooding," he retorted immediately. Ginny raised an eyebrow and the two held a staring contest before Harry realized that they probably looked ridiculous and broke contact with her. She let out another one of her contagious laughs and asked him again,

"Come on, Harry! Dance with me?"

"I'm not very good," he said honestly, only having a few dances under his belt. Ginny shrugged, bunching up her dress so it didn't drag on the ground,

"Neither is Dean, which is why I've put him out of his misery and asked you to dance with me." She sent him a wide and pretty smile, her eyebrows waggling in an attempt to get him to say yes.

Something inside him flipped and because she honestly wanted to dance with him, whether it was because there was no one else or she just wanted to, he nodded, standing up and taking her hand.

Ginny lead him out to the dance floor, chattering about how she couldn't _believe_ Ron had gotten the nerve to ask Hermione to dance,

"After what happened in June, he's sure as hell not going to risk losing _anything_."

Harry nodded solemnly, then apologized for stepping on her toes. All she did was grin and lead the way, talking to him and smiling, taking his mind off of whatever was bothering him before. He found that dancing wasn't all that hard, and he wondered why it had been so amazingly difficult with Parvati in fourth year. The boy enjoyed talking to Ginny, and when Bill cut in for a dance, Harry was left feeling surprisingly happy.

Seeing that all the people he knew were occupied (Ron had taken up a loud conversation with his brother Charlie about Quidditch and Hermione was looking as if she was having a good time with one of Fleur's cousins), Harry made his way out of the tent, and into the dark summer night.

There were absolutely no clouds in the sky, and because of the distance away from the town, there were no lights to fade the brightness of the stars. He knew he should get back to the party, Mrs. Weasley would certainly have his head for going off on his own, but it was his last night before returning to the hustle and bustle of Hogwarts, the last night of no questions and no strange looks. They had created their own world, one where he could feel safe and at home.

His stays at The Burrow was some of the most relaxing times he'd ever had, and Harry Potter could never thank the Weasleys enough for giving him this sanctuary, for making him part of their family when all he had asked of them was how to get to Platform 9 ¾. He had always thought of what he could do in return for their generosity, and the idea of buying a new house for the family had always been his top choice. Harry knew that he had the money to do so, so why shouldn't he?

But he thought about the laughter that rang through the bedrooms and into the forest in the back, the warm cozy feeling of the living room and the delicious smell spilling out of the kitchen. A new house wasn't needed, just a few repairs here and there; he didn't think Mrs. Weasley would want to leave the house she raised all seven of her children in.

Harry sat on the back porch of the house, gazing back towards the party and into the darkness of the night. _Maybe a vacation around the world, I'd give them the world… _

__

Harry hadn't understood the reasoning behind having the wedding the night before school started, but Bill and Fleur and been insistent on it. Even though he had retired to bed early, it was still a strain to wake up before ten and have to actually get things _done_.

Ron was cursing under the pillow he had thrown over his head as his mother shrieked up the stairs for them to wake up. Harry managed to get up without any complaints, but he did feel Ron's pain.

"Just get up, you can sleep on the train," he said, kicking the side of the bed. A few more curses were muffled by his pillow before Ron finally got up, and he looked as if he had only gotten five minutes of sleep, "What were _you_ doing last night?"

"I think I had a bit too much to drink," Ron groaned, his head falling back to the bed, "Fred—he gave me something, didn't think anything of it…"

"Oh hell, you didn't get pissed, did you?" Harry asked, though he looked immensely amused. Ron covered his eyes with his hands,

"Just a bit," he groaned.

"Well, get over it—your mum is going to have a fit if we're not down there in ten seconds."

Ron whimpered and rolled off of his bed, landing unceremoniously on the ground. Harry put a hand out for his friend and helped him stand up, though he was holding back the laughter he was desperate to release.

The boys managed to get down to the kitchen without any tumbles, though Ron had to stop on the third floor landing to balance himself ("Did you see that? The hallway just spun…"). The girls were already eating breakfast and dressed, and Harry just couldn't understand how they could be so awake, seeing as they had been the most excited of all for the wedding.

"Why _good morning_, boys. Have a busy night?" Ginny inquired, looking very happy. Harry wondered what had gone on after he left the party, because he eyes seemed to hold a ton of information he wasn't aware about.

"Shut it," Ron moaned, sliding into his seat. The girls shared a sly smile and Harry groaned inwardly; they obviously knew something the boys didn't.

"Hurry up you lot, we have to be _right_ on schedule this year!" Mrs. Weasley called from somewhere else in the house. Ron pushed his palms into his temple, cringing. Ginny muffled a giggle behind her hand and sent Harry a look.

"Yes, we're going by Portkey straight to the Platform," Hermione informed them, "it's rather convenient, don't you think?"

Ron's face plummeted at the prospect of traveling by Portkey, and suddenly, he couldn't quite finish his breakfast. He stood up and rushed out of the kitchen, looking very green. Harry let out a laugh and the girls shared their secret smiles again.

"What an interesting way to start the year," Hermione mused, a bit pink. Harry wasn't sure if he _really_ wanted to know what had happened.

The Portkey had been set for exactly 10:45, so it gave the four little time to mingle on the Platform before they had to get on the train. Finding a compartment was easy enough, but Harry felt incredibly alone as Ron, Hermione, _and_ Ginny all left for the Prefect's compartment.

He took out _The Daily Prophet_ and skimmed the pages, hoping for some news, any news, that might be relevant to a boy who's destined to defeat Lord Voldemort. The only thing that seemed like it could be of some help was that they were sending Aurors to Bulgaria for some searches; maybe Hermione could ask Viktor Krum for some information about that.

"Hey, Harry!" Neville Longbottom greeted, entering the compartment, "You don't mind me joining you, do you?"

Harry shook his head and gestured towards a seat. He didn't understand why Neville would think he would mind; after all, he had become close with the boy the past year and summer. Maybe it was something Neville would have to get used to before he became comfortable.

"Oh, good, I didn't want to come in here when it was just Harry," a dreamy voice said, and Luna Lovegood floated in. Harry sent her a glare. "Hello Neville; how is your grandmother?"

"Oh, she's fine, she talked about our er…_excursion_ to everyone, even bought me a brand new wand!" He flipped it out, looking very proud, "I've been itching to practice all summer, I just _feel_ like a more competent wizard, you know?"

"Well, the wand chose you for a reason, I suppose," Harry said, wondering how someone could have worked with so long without their own wand. It could be the reason behind Neville's lack of…_skills_ in the classroom.

They all chatted for a bit, nothing really was said, just recaps of the summer. Neville had been quite impressed at the mention of Bill's marriage to Fleur; he turned a bright red and found his fingernails very interesting.

The door slid open, and Dean Thomas poked his head in, looking around,

"Oh, where's Ginny?" he asked.

"She's in the Prefect compartment," Harry said, wondering how he could have forgotten; he _was _her boyfriend, after all. Dean's face took on a look of astonishment and he bit his tongue,

"Really? She didn't tell me _that_!" he looked rather put off and barely waved goodbye as he left the compartment. Harry supposed that Ginny, in the excitement of becoming a Prefect and Bill's wedding, had forgotten to mention it in her frequent letters to Dean.

"Such a jealous boy," Luna noted, flipping slowly through the latest edition of _The Quibbler_. Harry and Neville shared a glance, and then shrugged, starting up a game of Exploding Snaps.

The three Prefects joined them about twenty minutes later, though Ginny didn't stay for long after Luna had informed her that Dean had been looking for her. She turned rather pale and shot out the door.

"I'm not too sure I like Dean," Ron commented, not seeming too happy with Ginny's abrupt disappearance.

"You liked him well enough before he was dating Ginny," Hermione countered, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I mean—he's a good fellow and all, but she's so strung on what _Dean _thinks, and what_ Dean's_ doing." He shrugged, fiddling with the clasps of his robes.

"She's just excited, they've only been dating for a little bit," Hermione said, "You _do_ remember she's a girl?"

Ron crossed his eyes in an annoyed sort of way and the subject was dropped. Lively chatter filled the room, and it wasn't until Neville mentioned his Remembrall that Hermione called for everyone's attention,

"I can't believe I forgot, Ron, _we_ forgot!" she laughed, slapping him in the arm. By the look on Ron's face, he still didn't remember what he had forgotten. "About _Malfoy_?"

"_Oh_!" Ron cackled, clapping his hands, "Malfoy's not a Prefect anymore!"

The compartment cheered, and Harry felt a bit relieved that he wouldn't have to deal with Malfoy's obnoxious behavior…well, he would have to deal with it, but it wouldn't be as immensely strong as it was last year.

"Don't you lot have anything _better_ to discuss?" Harry knew it had been a bad idea to leave the compartment door open, because Draco Malfoy now stood there, his arms crossed and his teeth clenched.

"Don't you have anything better to do than eavesdrop?" Harry retorted, immensely sick of Malfoy's childish antics.

"I don't need a damn badge to know that I'm better than you, Potter," the blonde boy sneered and his eyes flicked over to Ron and Hermione, "but I suppose the Weasel and the Mudblood do."

Ron snarled and stood up and instinctively so did Harry. Hermione huffed and tugged on Ron's arm, but it was Neville who spoke,

"I really wouldn't mess with anyone in this compartment, Malfoy," he said, moving his wand around in a threatening manner, "we took on some _dangerous _Death Eaters like your _father_ a few months ago, and look!" he waved his hand at everyone, "We're still _here_."

Ron let out a laugh and fell back to the seat, shaking Neville's hand, and Harry was mighty impressed with the boldness of the statement. It seemed that the events of last June had affected one of them positively, at least.

Draco's already pale face lost any color it had and he snarled at Neville, looking ready to kill. But instead of firing a nasty comment towards him, he turned his ice-cold blue eyes to Harry, a glimmer of triumph flickering in them,

"How's the dog, Potter?"

Hermione let out the gasp Harry couldn't. His eyes had gone wide and he felt all of his blood leave his face and right down to the sole of his shoes. A freezing shiver ran through his body, and instead of pummeling Malfoy like he wanted to, like he saw Ron was trying to do, he sat, dumbstruck.

It was the same feeling Dudley had given him when he had mentioned his dreams about Cedric last summer, times a thousand. It was that cold, unnerving, and _helpless_ feeling of loss. To have someone intentionally bring up Sirius in such a foul manner hurt Harry more than any injury he has sustained in his lifetime. It was the one thing that could render him speechless: deliberate cruelty against someone Harry couldn't defend. Hermione had been right, he had a hero complex and he didn't know how to fix it.

After Ron disposed of Malfoy ("Where on Earth did you learn such a powerful banishing spell?" Hermione wondered aloud, closing and locking the door of the compartment), Harry managed to snap out of his shock and look down at his hands, anger boiling up at Malfoy and at all of the Death Eaters they had faced in the Department of Mysteries. If it weren't for them, he'd still have a Godfather to confide in. Malfoy might still be a Prefect, but at least he couldn't talk about Sirius in vain. His friends wouldn't have to tiptoe around the subject; Sirius was a man that loved to smile and make jokes and his name shouldn't bring such uncomfortable scenarios.

"Is it alright if I kill Malfoy, Hermione?" Harry asked, looking up from his hands. He knew his face was a deep shade of crimson, but he didn't care—they had all seen him in worse predicaments anyway. She frowned sympathetically at him, shaking her head,

"Unless you want to end up in Azkaban with his father, no, I suppose its not."

He grimaced, releasing a long sigh through his nose. He leaned his head against the window, watching the scenery zoom by at a tremendous speed. Like the hills they were making their way through, Hogwarts was going to have its many ups and downs this year.

The rest of the train ride was uneventful--Ron and Hermione managed to get along the entire time, and they all quietly made their way out when they were stopped at the Hogsmeade Station. The carriages pulled by Thestrals sat waiting for them, and Ron gasped, looking grief stricken.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, looking in the direction of the Thestrals, though not comprehending. Ron shook his head and shot his eyes towards Harry, who understood immediately.

"Y-you can _see_ them?" he asked, morbidly interested. Ron nodded slowly, a disgusted grimace on his face and he backed away slightly.

"Ron," Hermione began, equally as nervous, "you didn't tell me…you didn't tell _us_ you saw…"

"I wasn't sure," he croaked, running a hand through his hair, "I mean, I_ thought_ he was, but, he could've…bloody _hell_."

With a bit of coaxing from Hermione, the trio finally made their way into a carriage, Ron still ashen and visibly shaken. Harry was of course worried, but also intrigued at the reaction of his friend; the Thestrals had frightened Harry because he had no idea where they came from and what they were, but Ron was now certainly aware of the creatures and their job around Hogwarts. What had been the reason behind the shock?

Neville joined them and the conversation was like it was on the train, short and not very interesting. It had started to drizzle by the time they reached the school, and it was a bit of a frantic dash made by the other students to make it into the castle. The four walked slowly, though, Ron lifting up his outer robes to create an umbrella for the much shorter three.

The Great Hall was already full of students by the time they made it in, and they found seats across the table from Ginny, Dean, and Seamus Finnagan at the very end, who were all chatting happily.

"So Harry, when's the first D.A. meeting?" Seamus asked, leaning over the table conspiratorially. "I got an 'O' on the O.W.L.s, thanks to you!"

Harry gawked slightly, noticing that a couple of other Gryffindors seemed plenty interested at the reopening of the D.A. He hadn't thought about the club since he opened his O.W.L.s, but he supposed now that it wouldn't be that bad of an idea, especially with the trouble Dumbledore seemed to have in finding competent Defense Against the Dark Arts Professors.

"I…I suppose I could get permission from McGonagall, or Dumbledore…" he responded with a shrug of his shoulders. He seemed to have pleased Seamus, though, because he nodded and turned to a fifth year Gryffindor, to spread the news.

"Who _is_ the Defense Professor this year?" Hermione wondered, stretching her neck to see the Head Table. They were so far back that it seemed impossible to get a good view of the Professors, but Harry was able to make out one new person. He squinted, and noticed a flash of red hair.

"Oh _no_," Ron moaned, having mimicked Harry's actions. Hermione was still trying to grab a look when Professor McGonagall came in through the doors with the new batch of first years.

It seemed that the number of first years was growing increasingly larger each year; it was about three times the amount Harry had come in with. They all looked as scared as he had felt, but he couldn't recall a time where he had been so tiny and small.

The Sorting Hat was placed on its three-legged bench, and Harry could barely tell that it had opened its mouth,

"_I will not sing for long this year_

_I believe it__'s only right,_

_To just go on with my work_

_Until all of you unite._

Will you be a Gryffindor  
Where future leaders reside?  
Or maybe sneaky Slytherin  
Where ambition you won't hide?  
What do you think of Hufflepuff?  
Are you loyal, just, and true?  
How about the witty Ravenclaw,  
Where you'll learn a lot of new!

_I do the Sorting for I must,_

_But let__'s all not forget:_

_The only thing that goes on in war,_

_Are only the things you let_."

The students politely clapped, and though it did not make the point it did last year, it still made Harry think that the Hat knew much more about the world around him than just Dumbledore's office.

"When I call your name, please step up to be Sorted," McGonagall said, unrolling a long sheet of parchment, "Abbot, Gregory."

A little boy who seemed to be petrified stiffly made his way up the steps, and he sat on the stool with large eyes. The Hat was placed on his head, and within seconds it shouted, "RAVENCLAW!"

The blue and bronze house erupted in cheers for having received the first new student. Gregory was welcomed warmly, and Harry noticed that it was Cho Chang that he sat next to.

The familiar flutter in his stomach did not appear, and he was quite happy that it didn't. He knew that the girl had been going through some things, some terrible things, but so had he—he had been able to tolerate people (though Ron and Hermione would be the first to smirk at that) much better than she had. Maybe it was a girl thing, or maybe it was simply a Ravenclaw thing that he just wasn't sharp enough to understand.

Whatever the reason, the next thing he noticed was that she was sitting next to Michael Corner, so apparently their relationship was still intact. He wondered if she had cried to him like she had Harry, but then he supposed Michael wasn't as directly related to the events that traumatized her, so it mustn't be that hard for Cho to open up to him in a…_normal_ manner.

It relieved him, and he felt happy for her. Harry knew she wasn't a nutcase or a hosepipe when she was in the right state of mind. She had been looking for comfort and Harry, who was pushing even his best of friends away, wasn't the person to give that to her. Hopefully she found happiness in her relationship with Michael, and Harry wouldn't have to worry about scarring her for life with his lack of helpfulness.

"Evans, Mark."

Harry's train of thought was immediately derailed as his jaw dropped to the table when he heard McGonagall call his neighbor's name.

"Harry?" Hermione whispered, noticing his concern. He shook his head, watching intently as Mark walked up to the stool and sat down, watching the Sorting Hat being put on his head. The boy looked remarkably scared, but there was determination in his eyes that looked very familiar to Harry.

Was this the reason Mark had been asking all those questions about St. Brutus'? Harry had always been led to believe that there were no other wizards other than Mrs. Figg near him—but Mark lived less than five minutes away, how could he not have known? This could be the reason Dudley had chose Mark to beat up; maybe the Dursleys had an anti-magic sixth sense.

The Sorting Hat twitched and Harry gripped the bench beneath him,

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The table erupted for their first new housemate, and Mark scurried over and slid on the bench next to Harry, beaming.

"Hullo Harry!" Mark said cheerfully, "I _knew _you didn't go to St. Brutus'! I read all about you in The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts!"

Ron and Hermione shared a look that was a mixture of shock and amusement. Harry was still amazingly bewildered,

"Mark, why didn't tell me you knew about Hogwarts, that you were a wizard?"

The young boy shrugged, his green eyes scanning over the Great Hall.

"You never seemed interested," he said casually, fiddling with the top clasp of his robes, "plus, there were _Muggles_ everywhere, you know, _non-wizards_? Hey! My dad's sort of like a Muggle, but he knows a whole lot about magic!"

"Wouldn't that mean he's a wizard? Or, is your mum a witch?" Hermione asked, looking impressed with the boy. Mark shook his head, seemingly enjoying the fact that he was already talking with new people.

"My grandmother is a witch, not my mum. _She_ says Daddy is a Squib--a wizard with very little magic power."

"Looks like you have some competition, Hermione," Ron said, already looking tired of Mark. Harry held in his snicker as Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"Well, I'm really glad you're in Gryffindor," Harry said, the initial shock having worn off. Mark's eyes brightened and he nodded,

"Oh yes, I was worried about that. I thought I would've been in Ravenclaw because of all the books I've read, but I guess I was wrong."

A new Gryffindor was Sorted ("Hobbs, Jacob") and Mark's attention was lost as he struck up a conversation with his new roommate.

"Hope we don't have a new Colin Creevey," Ron said with a raise of his eyebrows. This time, Harry couldn't help his laugh and Hermione scolding the two of them, though she was smirking quite a bit.

After the Sorting Ceremony ("Zamor, Valerie" was Sorted into Gryffindor), Dumbledore stood like he always did,

"Welcome back, students! It feels remarkable to be home again, especially after how…_eventful_ last year was." There were a few noises of agreement from around the hall. Dumbledore smiled, looking over his glasses at some of the older students, "As always, the Forbidden Forest is just that: forbidden. We now have Guard Trolls around all of the entrances and near the edge of the forest, so I assure you that you are _not _getting anywhere you're not supposed to be.

"In lighter news, it is my pleasure to introduce to you our new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, Professor Weasley."

Harry groaned as he realized that the flash of red was the hair of Percy Weasley, and Hermione gasped in complete bewilderment. Ron dropped his head to the table as if complete dead weight, and Ginny covered her face with her hands, her ears fiercely red.

What in Merlin's name was Dumbledore doing hiring a traitor like that? The Headmaster had to have known the problems going on with the family, and to torture Ron and Ginny like this for the rest of the year was incredibly cruel.

"He has _the _oddest taste in teachers," Seamus noted, shaking his head.

"With that," Dumbledore's voice rang out, "let's eat!"

The plates in front of them magically (of course, how else would they have filled up?) produced an entire meal for them, and the chatter in The Great Hall covered the cursing Ron was doing under his breath.

Hermione placed a comforting arm on his shoulder, and Harry nudged him,

"Maybe you'll be able to 'miss' me and hit him with a curse?" Harry joked, trying to make Ron look up and eat. It worked; Ron looked at him with a very wicked grin and nodded, starting on his food.


	5. Do The Right Thing

**A/N: ****kateydidnt, you're very right about those Thestrals… ::innocent eyes::******

Chapter 5- Do The Right Thing

"He seems incredibly intelligent," Hermione noted a bit later about Mark, who was going on about how he had read almost all of their texts to the other first years. Ron rolled his eyes, and gave a dramatic sigh, "now you'll have a friend over the summer."

"The second I'm seventeen the Dursleys are kicking me to the street—they're probably already counting the days, _hours_."

"What _are _you going to do about that?" Hermione asked, looking concerned.

"He's going to rent a flat with me, that's what," Ron answered, sending Harry a wink. "We'll have all the hard stuff out of the way by then, no worries."

"Except for that one tiny thing called Voldemort, yeah?" Harry responded dryly.

"Voldemort is _not_ going to stop us from being the swankiest bachelors in England," Ron said, looking smug. Harry and Hermione looked amazed though, and Ron looked back and forth between the two, "Er…what?"

"You said his name," Hermione whispered, "you said _Voldemort_!"

Ron cringed, hissing,

"Would you stop that? You know I can't stop flinching!"

"_What_? You _just_ said it!" Harry said with a laugh. Ron turned to him, his eyes narrowed,

"Potter, don't joke with me, I did _not_ just say…_that_."

Harry and Hermione stared at him for a few more moments, realizing that Ron truly believed that he did not slip Voldemort into their everyday conversation. How could he not have heard himself say something that had such an impact on his life? If Ron Weasley could get over his fear of saying Voldemort's name, then maybe his fears on the other aspects of his life would disintegrate as well.

"First years, this way!" Ginny Weasley shouted, indicating to the trio that they had missed the commencement of the feast. Mark waved a happy goodbye to Harry and rushed off to meet Ginny and Colin Creevey, the two fifth year Gryffindor Prefects.

"Honestly Ron," Hermione said as they made their way out of the hall, "how could you possibly not remember something of such significance?"

Harry saw his friend's fists clench, and he wondered if this would be the first Ron versus Hermione of the year,

"I can't remember it because I didn't do it, Hermione." Ron's voice was oddly calm, though a bit strained. "If I had done it, then I would remember it, but I didn't, so I _don't_."

"We have witnesses, I don't see _why_ you're denying it---it's _good _that you did it."

"Well since I can't bloody well remember doing it, I guess it doesn't help me at all." They were at the back of the group of Gryffindors trying to get into the dorms. He turned to her sharply, "Could you just drop it?"

Harry could tell that Hermione was dying to continue, it seemed that Ron saying 'Voldemort' was very important to her, but she remained calm as the password was said, ("Spider legs!").

Ron brushed by a few people to enter, leaving Harry and Hermione behind.

"You know," Hermione whispered because Ron was still in ear-shot, "he forgot about the compartments we had to patrol, even after the Head Boy went over it about twenty times."

"He's been doing that a lot," Harry responded, spotting Ron on the chair nearest the fire looking pensive. "Do you think…?"

"The brain?" she finished, "definitely."

"Not tonight, though?" Harry bit his lip, hoping Hermione wasn't planning on attacking Ron on their first day back. She frowned, as if he had stopped her from asking him if he wanted to do it right now just a second before she suggested it.

"No, not tonight. But soon."

The next day was refreshing; everyone was in high spirits to start off the year, and Harry was happy to find that with his lack of Divination (though Hermione had scolded him for this, because now they knew prophecies were real), he had free time that could be spent…doing _something _other than being in class.

Ron had followed his suit and dropped Divination, because of his poor grades, and he had to drop Potions, though he wasn't exactly heartbroken about it.

"You _do_ realize that you need Potions to be an Auror?" Hermione said as she buttered some toast. Ron shrugged casually,

"Then I guess I won't be an Auror."

"What do you plan on doing then?" Harry asked, wondering why he had never asked this before. Again, Ron shrugged,

"I can do plenty of stuff—look at Bill and Charlie, they're not an Auror or in the Ministry."

Hermione nodded in agreement, though she was still obviously miffed at how Ron just _didn't _care about the lack of classes on his schedule. He seemed rather thrilled, actually.

"If only they had gotten a decent Defense professor," he muttered as they entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, "then my schedule would be _perfect_."

Percy was behind his desk, pacing back and forth and checking the board behind him for any mistakes literally every five seconds. His robes were crisp and his hair was impeccably neat—Harry wondered briefly if he used the same thing Hermione had for the Yule Ball. The board said something about wandless magic, and Harry figured he'd do pretty well this year.

Against Hermione's protests, Ron and Harry both took a seat in the back of the room. Hermione huffed and sat a few rows in front of them, but obviously not trying to be in Percy's line of sight.

When the class was settled (Harry noticed that all of his fellow Gryffindors had continued to take Defense), Percy cleared his throat, standing in front of his desk looking extremely nervous.

"G-good morning class, I'm Professor Weasley, and today we're going to discuss wandless magic. D-does anyone know the theory of wandless magic?"

Of course Hermione's hand shot up, this class of Gryffindors had given up trying to answer questions long ago, around first year. Percy bristled slightly at the lack of volunteers, and he finally pointed towards Hermione, after an obvious internal debate.

"Wandless magic has everything to do with emotion, and the power of the wizard. If the wizard desperately needs or wants to perform the magic, or they are concentrating all of their energy on it, they will use wandless magic. Magic doesn't come out of the wand, it is merely channeled through it, so it is stronger."

Harry smirked at Percy's amazement at her answer, and then frowned when he continued the class without rewarding Hermione any points.

"Correct, now, I have split the two terms up into four quarters, and each of the quarters will be focusing on a certain type of wandless magic. You will notice that a lot of the things we will be working on are Charms that you have already learned—since this is a N.E.W.T. level class, we are going to tone up your procedure and relate them to…the _real _world.

"It's perfectly fine to know how to use a charm, but it is much more to your advantage to be able to use it at any time you wish, especially in situations where your mind might not be as focused as you'd like. It takes time to master wandless magic, but once you do, the concentration needed while learning it will not be necessary." He took a deep breath, clasping his hands together in front of his chest.   


"You'll practice four charms a week, Monday through Thursday, and then Friday you will be tested on how fast you can perform them. Since this _is_ a N.E.W.T. level class," Harry noticed that Percy liked saying that, he must feel it an honor to be teaching it, "we have an extra half hour every normal period and double period, _so _I do think that you will all be able to complete what is expected of you." 

The rest of the class was lecture and notes, but no matter how hard Harry tried, he couldn't think of Percy as a _bad_ teacher. There were too many notes for his liking, but he was looking forward to the practice of wandless magic, since it had saved him numerous times before. 

After the class had filtered up, Harry grew the nerve to stay behind and ask Percy about the D.A. 

"Er…Professor?" 

Percy noticeably stiffened from his position near the blackboard. He had been magically wiping away all of the notes they had taken, and slowly he turned around to face Harry. A very obviously forced smile was on his face, and he tried to look interested, 

"Yes Mister Potter?" Harry couldn't help but clench his fists at the tone of Percy's, but he also spread a smile on his face, 

"I was wondering…last year we had a bit of a…_Defense_ group, like…practicing Defense Against the Dark Arts out_side_ of class…and a lot of students who were in it were asking if it was going to be re-instated." He paused, trying to read Percy's reaction. The new Professor hadn't shown a bit of emotion, so Harry continued, "Of course, now that we have a suitable Professor, I'm sure that the meetings could be really productive and helpful…it gives you more class time, if you want to look at it that way." 

"Okay." 

Harry's eyes widened, and a real smile slid onto his face as he nodded in agreement. Percy looked thoughtful, and he hurried into his desk, pulling out some parchment. 

"Yes, this could work! We could have it on Wednesdays and then the next day I wouldn't have to spend too much time reviewing for the rest of the week…" he began to mutter under his breath, and Harry waved a small goodbye as he left the room. 

Well, _that _was easy. 

"I can't believe that idiot can _teach_," Ron groaned. "To think, I'm actually going to have to _listen _to him!" 

"You should listen to _all _your professors, Ron," Hermione scolded. "I think he did a good job today, though you could tell that he was extremely nervous."

"He went to school with us, his brother and two best friends are in the class, _plus_ everyone remembers him as the scarily uptight Head Boy," Harry said as he and Hermione left Ron to go down to Potions, "anyone in their right _mind_ would be nervous. At least he agreed about the D.A."

"Why do you suppose he took the job? Its not like Percy had ever focused on Defense before?" she asked, taking their normal seat in the Potions room. It seemed so much emptier now that Ron and half of their normal class weren't there. Dean Thomas had successfully made it, and so had Parvati Patil, much to Hermione's surprise.

"No idea, maybe the battle at the Ministry last year spooked him, and he's trying to learn a few things himself."

For six years the Gryffindors had been paired with the Slytherins for Potions, but now that it was a N.E.W.T. level class, the amount of students from all the Houses who had successfully managed to get in was just the amount of one class size. It was a refreshing change to see Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs than just the irritating green of the Slytherins.

But of course, there were a few Slytherins, and that included Draco Malfoy. He made sure to walk right in front of Harry and Hermione's desk, and he attempted to knock over her cauldron, but she was able to catch it with her hands and a proud smirk.

The only other Slytherins were Blaise Zabini (the boy that had taken Malfoy's Prefect Badge), and Theodore Nott. Nott decided to be funny, or at least, that's what Harry thought, and sat in what would've been Ron's seat, on the other side of Hermione.

She sent Harry a look of shock and confusion, but he just worded 'Relax' as Snape seemed to appear from nowhere, the door slamming shut.

"I'm not surprised at the size of this class," he began, his eyes scanning over the class, "but I am startled at who's _in_ this class." Snape's eyes landed on Harry, and it was obvious to the rest of the class who he was speaking about. Draco let out a loud snicker that went unheard by the Potions Master,

"Miss. Patil," Snape said, turning his eyes on the Gryffindor (her sister was also in the class, and she looked very relieved that Snape wasn't talking to her), "what's the key ingredient of the Draught of Living Death?"

Parvati had frozen the second her name had been called, but straightened her shoulders and looked quite brave,

"That would be asphodel, Professor."

"I mentioned that one time in the five years I've been teaching you…good."

Parvati fell back into her chair looking immensely relieved, and Snape began his lesson, scaring the living daylights out of the sixth years with the consequences of brewing the potion wrong.

While they were copying down the ingredients ("CAREFULLY AND EXACTLY HOW I WROTE IT!"), Harry couldn't help but think of his last years' experience with Snape, during his Occlumency lessons. He knew that the Potions Master had been terrifyingly mad at him because of the peek into the Pensieve, but Harry knew now how much of a mistake that had been.

If he had gotten better at the trade, Voldemort might not have sent that faulty message about Sirius. His Godfather would still be alive, and he might have an idea of what his nemesis was up to. Harry decided, after finishing his list, that he was going to ask Snape to start up lessons again. Maybe if he told him how sorry and how dumb it had been, what a loss he had had, maybe then the Potions Master would reconsider.

The class went much faster now that Harry had something to look forward to at the end. They collected all of their ingredients and had to cut precise samples of each before they were able to move on, so it took quite a while just _preparing_ the ingredients. Their next class in two days, Double Potions, would be when they made the Draught, and Snape said they wouldn't be able to make any mistake if they wanted to finish in time.

As the class filed out, Harry whispered to Hermione that he was going to stay behind, and she eyed him oddly before exiting the classroom, only to hover outside the door.

Harry approached Snape slowly; he hadn't noticed that he wasn't alone in the classroom. When he did, however, Harry was silently wishing that he didn't want the lessons,

"What in Merlin's name do you want from me, Potter?" he snapped, a vein Harry had never noticed before popping out of his forehead. Either he was bringing up bad memories by his mere presence, or Snape was under _a lot_ of stress.

"Er…I'd like to ask you about Occlumency," Harry said softly, knowing that it was a touchy subject. Snape's eyes narrowed and he leaned forward so his greasy hair fell in front of his face. He looked absolutely _menacing_.

"And why, Mister Potter, should I waste my time on a arrogant slice of dung like _you_?"

Harry felt the blood rush up all the way to his ears, but he knew that he really wanted this; he couldn't let the insults ruin his pathway to his goal.

"Professor, I know I made a mistake…"

"_Mistake_?" Snape barked, a very creepy smile spreading on his thin lips, "I'd call intruding on someone's deepest and darkest memories more than a _mistake_!"

"I _know_ that, Professor, I know how wrong, and undignified, and…and…"

"Stupid?"

Harry frowned, but grit his teeth and nodded, "_Yes_, it was _immensely_ stupid of me, Professor. That's why…that's why I've come to ask if we could start up lessons again."

Snape stood up to his full height, which wasn't that tall now that Harry thought about it. He was almost the same as Snape, which might help next time he felt intimidated by the Potions Master.

"I know that I completely lost your trust," Harry continued, before Snape could interrupt with a 'no', "I know now that I probably made the biggest mistake of my life by looking into your pensieve…Professor," he looked down at the table, thinking of the horrible image of his father he had seen in the silvery threads of the pensieve, "I lost a lot because of that one instance, I…I found out things that made me want to throw up, and I lost a talent that…that could've saved a very cherished life…" Harry paused, looking back up at Snape. It seemed as if he had caught his Professor's attention, "I'm literally begging you, Professor, _please_ teach me how to use this power."

Snape took in a deep breath this his nose, sending Harry the wickedest glares right into his eyes. Harry knew that he was reading his mind, skimming through the memories, trying to find out if he really meant it. If Snape were a true Legilimens, he would be able to figure out that Harry was telling the truth.

The Potions Master looked away after a moment, snarling,

"You really cared about that flea-infested Godfather of yours, didn't you?" he said, not trying to hide the utter distaste in his mouth. Harry bit his tongue and nodded, hoping that his watering eyes weren't noticeable. Snape must have seen his memories and thoughts of Sirius. With a defeated sigh, Snape waved his hand away,

"Fine, same schedule as last year."

Harry couldn't help the grin that had slid onto his face,

"Oh, t-thank you, Professor, you won't regret it at all—"

"Just _go_, Potter, before you start blubbering."

He took that as a hint to leave so he did, feeling immensely grateful for thinking about the lessons. This could help him avoid any more unnecessary conflicts with Voldemort; this could stop the flashes he was so used to getting in his sleep…

"So, is it true that you and Weasley have been snogging since fourth year?" an unfamiliar voice said from down the hall. Harry snapped out of his thoughts and saw Hermione looking very uncomfortable under the shadow of Theodore Nott.

"_Excuse_ me?" she said, looking at Harry with a 'Hurry up or I'm going to hex him until he's purple' look. Nott was staring at her quite intently, though, so he didn't notice Harry coming his way,

"_Yeah_, well, if you're ever looking for someone to share a broom closet with…"

"She won't be heading in _your_ direction," Harry interrupted, pushing Hermione out of the way with a sickeningly fake smile towards Nott. The Slytherin glared and smirked viciously, but simply huffed and walked away.

"_That_ was odd," Hermione said as they continued on their way towards the Great Hall for lunch, "he's never spoken to me before!"

"Maybe he's a bit slower than Ron and just realized you're a girl," Harry muttered, not at all liking the way Nott had been looking at her. Hermione flushed and whispered to him as they entered the Great Hall,

"Don't tell Ron about this, he'll get angry and do something stupid."

Harry agreed that Ron would probably not like to hear about a Slytherin hitting on Hermione, so it was better for everyone if they just kept it a secret.

"Alright, we won't tell Ron."

"Won't tell Ron _what_?"

They spotted Ron at the table and his eyes were perked with interest,

"Oh, just how much we missed you in Potions, Ron," Harry responded coolly, sliding in next to him. Hermione laughed and sat across the boys, but was expertly avoiding Ron's eyes. Their friend didn't seem to buy the whole charade, but he let it slide, pushing some parchment towards Harry,

"Thanks, I know how bored you lot must have been. Anyway, while I was…er, well, doing _nothing_," Ron grinned, apparently proud of his lack of classes, "I started writing up some Quidditch plays, Harry."

Harry looked down at the parchment, his eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out what all the symbols mean. He loved Quidditch, but he had never had the chance to follow it and to learn the lingo that most fanatics knew.

"Er, Ron? You're going to have to explain this as if I'm Crabbe or Goyle," Harry laughed, scratching his head, "Though I suppose that little thing with the wings is the Snitch…?"

"Yeah, I figured you wouldn't know—being a Seeker and all," Ron began, and after Harry shot him a look, he put his hands up in defense, "Sorry, but _really_, how much do you watch the rest of the game?"

Harry grumbled that he tried to keep his eye on _everything_. Ron patted his back sympathetically,

"_Right_, now, this one's called a 'jagged arrow'…"

It took a few weeks to get back into the groove of classes, but once he did Harry found that it hadn't helped the melancholy feeling that always hovered not too far away. He had managed to put on a smile for Ron and Hermione, and a lot of the time it was real and they were helping him move on, but there were still moments when the memory of the prophecy flooded over anything he tried to think about, and he would sink deeper into the dark cave he had been digging over the summer.

"_What I would give to be back at The Burrow_…" he thought miserably as he trudged out to the Quidditch Pitch, ready for the tryouts.

Ron had come up with the brilliant idea of picking reserve players, to build up the team for when they leave. He had pointed out that in three years more than half of the team would be gone (Andrew Kirke was in seventh year), so they should try their best to keep the legacy of Gryffindor alive.

He was amazingly surprised at the turnout for the tryouts, there had to be over thirty Gryffindors present, and he voiced this to Ron, who was looking giddy,

"Yeah, well, we've been on a hot streak, of course they want to play for a winning team!"

Harry had muttered a disgruntled agreement, but he hoped that the students trying out weren't just doing it for the glory. He planned to work them hard, especially since he had lost out two years of his Quidditch career.

The returning players, Ron, Ginny, Katie Bell, Jack Sloper, and Andrew Kirke all lined up with Harry, looking at the crowd of students with apprehensive eyes.

"D'you suppose they _all_ know how to play Quidditch?" Jack asked, looking at a fellow fourth year with suspicion.

"No, but they all came out here and we're going to give them a shot," Harry said, taking a step forward, "Alright, Chasers go with Ginny and Katie," he pointed towards the left side of the pitch where the two girls were heading, "Beaters to the right," Jack and Andrew were able to figure out on their own that they were to lead the prospective reserve players,   
"Keepers down at the far end, and Seekers, you stay with me."

He noticed that the Creevey brothers had joined the Beaters and Dean Thomas was walking alongside Ginny with the Chasers. Harry hoped that Dean didn't think he automatically had a spot because of his girlfriend.

"Come on, let's get moving, don't want to make this a two day thing," Ron shouted at the ten or so students that wanted to be reserve Keepers.

When the groups were split, Harry was left with five students, three girls and two boys. He recognized one as Euan Abercrombie from last year, and he didn't look as terrified of Harry as he had last year.

"Right…so I guess I'm going to have to see how you fly. Are…are there any questions?"

They all looked rather young, so Harry figured that even if they _did_ have questions, none of them would dare ask in risk of looking silly.

"Well, alright then—let's fly."

****

After an hour or two of flying, and after Harry observed each of the four groups, he blew his whistle and dismissed all of the people trying out. Flying had been a nice relief, but his mind was recording every move and mistake he saw, so it wasn't as relaxing as Harry normally found it,

"So? What's the verdict?" Harry plopped down onto the field. It was a good thing they decided to hold the tryouts early in the day—they would be able to announce the new team before curfew.

"Honestly?" Jack said, pulling out some grass, "I'd go with the Creevey brothers."

"Yeah," Andrew took over, "Colin's got an arm, and with me leaving this year, he'll definitely be worth it."

"Who would have thought it…?" Harry muttered, writing down the names of the brothers on the Reserve list. Maybe the tradition of having brothers play Beaters was something to continue.

"Emma Sliver for Keeper," Ron said, looking very sure of himself, "She's quick and aggressive—third year."

"How about the Chasers?" Harry looked at the girls and noticed that they both looked torn, at least, Ginny did.

"Corona Moon for starter," Katie said, "then we've got Robin Poll, Morgan Banner and…" Katie looked at Ginny, who shook her head, "Jake Lee."

Harry saw Ron's eyes widen, but he looked more impressed then shocked. He supposed that Ginny was having a rough time not picking her boyfriend, but it proved that she was thinking of the team.

"With Madison Legends as Seeker, that does it," Harry said, standing up, "let's go put up the list."

The team agreed and walked towards the locker rooms to change, but Ginny was lagging behind, noticeably upset. Feeling bad for the tough decision she had to make, Harry slowed down to meet her, giving her a supportive grin,

"You can tell him that I made the final call, if you want?" he said, fully ready to take the blame. Ginny shook her head, biting the inside of her cheek,

"No, he has absolutely no balance on the broom, Harry, I really couldn't have done it—"

Harry stopped her, putting his hands on her shoulders. She looked very upset and refused to look him in the eye, Harry didn't like how nervous she was. Her breathing was rapid, and he hoped that Dean didn't react to badly about the decision,

"If that's how you feel, then it's _fine._" He smiled, showing her that she had the rest of the team behind her decision, "You did the right thing, Ginny—you're looking after your team, and if he can't understand that, then…well, maybe he didn't belong on the team anyway."

She looked up at him then, clearly distraught. Harry shrugged his shoulders, but he didn't budge until Ginny nodded in agreement, pulling away to go and change. Harry followed slowly, hoping that the list in his pocket didn't cause too much damage.


	6. Love Hurts

Chapter 6- Love Hurts

The team entered the Common Room to a large crowd and a very eerie silence. All eyes were on Harry, and his stomach plummeted as he realized that so many of these people would sulk up to their bedrooms, disappointed.

"Oh hell," he cursed under his breath. With his eyes determinedly set on the ground in front of him, Harry made his way to the Bulletin Board and stuck the list up there. He paused, and with his Seeker agility, darted out of the way of the stampede of people rushing towards him.

Harry made it safely back to Ron, who was looking on in bewilderment.

"This is going to get messy," his friend whispered, noticing how Ginny had taken refuge behind Hermione and Dean was almost close enough to see his…_lack of position_.

"If he gets mean we'll curse him, yeah?" Harry said, walking over to the girls with Ron. Ron's ears burned slightly, and he didn't have to answer out loud for Harry to understand.

There were groans and cheers heard from the crowd, and Harry expertly avoided the eyes of the students that didn't make the team. He felt bad, of course, but it wasn't as if they didn't know how many positions were available. If they did the math, they should have clearly realized that they couldn't _all_ have made it.

"_Easy for you, you've never tried out for a team_," his conscience reminded him, and suddenly taking the blow to the ego wasn't as easy as he thought it should be.

As the crowd dwindled, Harry saw Dean brush people angrily away, sending him a not-so-nice look.

"Ouch," Ron said, sitting on the arm of Hermione's chair. Ginny jittered in her seat, and with a frustrated huff, she pushed herself away and hurried towards Dean, who was looking mighty upset.

"This is not going to be pretty…" Harry muttered, taking Ginny's spot. The two looked to be in a heated argument, but their quiet hisses couldn't be heard,

"It's not polite to stare," Hermione scolded, but she was watching the two more intensely than the boys.

There wasn't more to watch, though, because in the next second the couple decided to let everyone in on their conversation,

"I'm _sorry_! It was the best decision!" Ginny protested, looking ready to cry. Ron tensed and took a few steps towards them but Harry and Hermione grabbed onto him. "Best decision?" Dean said, sounding scandalized, "Well, maybe _WE _weren't the best decision! IT'S _OVER_!" He brushed away Ginny's hand a bit roughly and stormed up the stairs towards the dormitory. She stood, completely in shock, her face a ghostly pale. 

"Oh dear," Hermione whispered, but as soon as she got up to go and support Ginny, the girl rushed through the Common Room and out the portrait hole. Everyone else was silent for a few seconds after, but then a gossiping whisper spread throughout, and the crowd seemed to go back to normal.

"I'm going to _slaughter_ him," Ron growled trying to pull away from his friends. Harry and Hermione held on strong, though, knowing that he literally would tear Dean apart.

"They just had a fight, it happens," Hermione said calmly, and Harry found it rather odd that _she_ was giving _Ron_ advice about fighting. "Just let him cool down and then we'll let you go. How about some chess?"

It seemed that Ron was willing to give the couple some time to relax, because he agreed and the trio took turns in playing games until it was too late to say they were just 'wasting time.'

The tension had certainly diminished, but there was still the fact that Ginny hadn't come back to the Common Room. Ron had wanted to take the Invisibility Cloak to go find her, but Hermione had insisted that if Ginny wanted to be alone, to let her be alone and not to worry. Harry agreed, but he couldn't shake the anxious feeling residing in his chest.

It took a little pushing on Hermione's part (and physically, on Harry's) to get Ron up to the dorm, but they did. Dean's curtains had been pulled completely shut, and Seamus quietly warned not to go near it; their roommate had set up some kind of jinx that splashed paint all over you if you go to close, poor Neville figured it out the hard way.

A few minutes after they arrived, all the candles were blown out and the curtains drawn, though Harry didn't feel like sleeping. He wondered if Ginny was okay, and thought about where _he_ would have gone if he wanted to be alone. Anyplace was really okay for Harry, he was one that could zone out in the middle of a duel if he was sad enough, and block every curse that headed his way with just a tremendously sad thought.

Hermione would have to comfort Ginny, if the fight really meant the end of her relationship with Dean. She was a girl, and she knew about those sort of things, so Harry had no sense in wondering how he would make her feel better…actually, Hermione _wasn't_ the best.

She hadn't had a boyfriend (at least, he didn't count Viktor Krum as one) to know what it was to fight and feel bad. Sure, his relationship with Cho hadn't been the healthiest or…_most fun_ relationship, but it was still the closest thing any of the trio had had, and Harry had ended up with a heart that was perfectly in tact.

So maybe he _could_ help Ginny.

With a determined grunt, Harry rolled out of bed and shuffled towards his trunk, not realizing how long he had been contemplating the fight. He lit his wand up and rummaged through the trunk to find a blank piece of parchment he hadn't used in a while. Clambering back into bed, Harry opened the Marauder's Map and searched for Ginny Weasley.

Surprisingly, she was sitting alone in the Gryffindor Common Room. Harry gulped. She was probably crying, how on Earth was he supposed to help that? He had never helped a girl besides Hermione, and Cho was just…well, Harry had just been _there_ when Cho cried, so Harry's usefulness was kind of low in this situation.

But…no one knew she was down there besides him. She could be there all night if she wanted, and no one would come to help her. Not caring if Hermione's hero complex theory was right again, Harry made his way out of the dormitory and down to the Common Room.

He saw her on the couch, her shoulders shaking and her ponytail swishing in the firelight. His stomach clenched, and he suddenly wanted to punch Dean in the stomach.

"Ginny?"

She jumped, using her sleeves to wipe at her face. She didn't turn to face him she just kept her head bowed. Harry came around the couch, trying to look at her face

"You alright?"

Her hair was loose around her face but Harry could see the redness around her eyes. She avoided him, though, and kept her sleeve-covered hands under her chin.

"I'm just…sad," she whispered, her voice cracking. Harry saw her lip quiver and he didn't hesitate as he sat on the couch and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Ginny froze for a second, but her eyes watered again and she leaned into his shoulder, releasing silent sobs. Harry's other arm wrapped around her, and he held her close as she cried.

"You know Potter, if I had known that you were going to be fainting like a little girl at every _single _attempt, I wouldn't have agreed to starting up the lessons again!" Snape roared, slamming his hands down onto his desk.

Harry growled from his position on the floor, but he managed to keep his smart aleck remark to himself. True, today's lesson was going far off the progress he had been making, but he had a reason for that, and that reason was a redheaded friend of his who had cried her heart out to him the night before, preventing him from getting little to no sleep.

"Sorry Professor," he muttered, standing up and straightening his robes. Snape didn't seem to hear him as he began to stalk back and forth behind the desk,

"It's as if we've never done this before!" He stopped his pace and turned to Harry, sneering, "Am I going to have to cut you off from everyone to make some progress? Maybe stop that _sport_ you like to play?"

"No!" Harry exclaimed, noticing the flash of jealousy flickering in Snape's eyes. "It was just last night—I'm sure you know by _now_…"

"I _suppose _being the cause of Weasley's breakup might be a _slight _burden," Snape responded sarcastically, making Harry narrow his eyes.

"_I_ didn't cause it! It was the Quidditch team, Dean didn't make it…"

"Yes, _that's_ it, Potter—though it's really not surprising, considering your _father _was the same way." Snape rolled his eyes and continued to glare at Harry. The young wizard felt his face flush and he clenched his fists angrily,

"You _know_ that I'm not like—like _that_ memory of my father!" Harry wished he could say that his father had been a good person, with a kind soul like he had always imagined, but he had no _proof _of it, he couldn't say it because now he _knew_ why Snape hated him so much…"I always defend my friends and, and when others are being picked on!"

"Unless it's a Slytherin, of course. But that's not the _wonderful_ aspect of your father that I'm talking about—"

"_Please_, Professor," Harry hated that he had already had to beg Snape for something once, he didn't want to have to do it again, "I don't need any more horrible images of him, I've had enough!"

Snape released something like a growl and with the flick of his wand, flung the door open,

"Today's lesson is over, go ask Lupin if you want to know what I _really _meant."

Harry took a deep breath and nodded towards the Potions Master, silently fuming for the constant reminders of how cruel his father had been. Snape _must _know that Harry wasn't like that, he couldn't miss it—so what on earth was he talking about with the similarities?

And what did Professor Lupin have to do with any of it? He shook his head, hoping that there wasn't anything else about his father that he didn't need to know, that would completely ruin his already shattered vision of him.

Harry checked the hallway to make sure he was alone and then he pulled out the Marauder's Map to check to see where Ron and Hermione were. They waited at the end of the hall, and with a hiss, he stuck the map back into his bag: Professor McGonagall was heading his way.

Without waiting to be seen, Harry rushed towards his friends, and when he finally caught sight of them, they seemed to be in a heated argument. Harry closed his eyes and took another breath; he really didn't want to deal with their bickering at the moment.

"Seriously Hermione, she looked _horrible_, why aren't I allowed to send him a curse or two?"

Harry flinched, knowing immediately that they were discussing Ginny and Dean's breakup, like the rest of Hogwarts was. He had noticed the forlorn and far off gaze the girl had been in the entire day, but she always seemed to manage a smile for him and her friends, even when Harry knew how much her heart had been broken.

"You'll embarrass Ginny so much more than she already _is_," Hermione exclaimed, though she looked like she wanted to send a hex Dean's way too, "Can you _imagine_ having your relationship fall to pieces in front of the entire Gryffindor tower?"

Ron opened his mouth for a second and let his lips move like a fish out of water. Harry smirked.

"It's…it's my duty as a brother, Fred and George would be _most _displeased with me…" he argued, making Hermione raise an eyebrow. Ron huffed, looking extremely put out, "Oh _fine_, but if I see her cry _one more time_…"

"Then I'll help you make him pay," Harry interrupted, making both Ron and Hermione jump out of surprise.

"Oy Harry, you scared the daylights out of me!" Ron laughed, putting a hand to his heart.

"Constant vigilance, Ron," Harry said disapprovingly, making Hermione giggle, "though I suppose that should be _Dean's _new way of living," he mused as they began down the hallways toward the Library.

"Isn't it funny?" Hermione quipped, slinging her bag to her other shoulder.

"My sister getting her heart broken is _funny_ to you?" Ron said, completely shocked. Hermione sighed and shook her head, pushing the doors of the Library open,

"_No_, I was talking about…well," she waved a hand at the three of them, "_us_. It's ironic how we can discuss something so pointless as a teenage love story while we have a war raging on outside the castle walls."

"Thanks for killing the mood, Hermione," Ron muttered, plopping down into his seat. Harry agreed silently, he had begun to cherish the times where his mind wasn't completely focused on the war, and the prophecy…

Avoiding the prophecy was easy enough, seeing as Ron and Hermione had absolutely no idea that he had heard it—if they had, he was sure that Hermione would be spending all of her energy figuring it out or trying to find a way to fulfill it in the safest manner…

Not that Harry hadn't been doing that himself, he knew that he would have to…would have to _kill_, and even though it _was_ Voldemort who was destined to be his victim (or the other way around) it still made his stomach lurch with the familiar flip it had when he had placed the Unforgivable on Bellatrix…he had failed at that, it had made him sick and twisted inside for even attempting…how was he supposed to summon the energy to kill someone?

_Shouldn't be that hard, _Harry thought grimly, as he pulled out all the papers from his bag, _he killed your parents easily enough, didn't he?_

"Oh _no_, here he comes _again_!" Hermione hissed, propping up a rather large book to block her face, but it didn't succeed in hiding her hair. Harry turned around to see Theodore Nott heading their way, a cheesy grin on his face.

"I'm really sick of this, Hermione," Ron muttered, flipping his book open, "every time we come in here, he manages to be here _too_."

Harry opened his mouth to tease Hermione slightly about how her stalkers seemed to _always_ linger in the library, but the girl shot him a deathly glare, and he clamped his mouth shut.

"Hullo everyone," Theodore said, pulling out the chair next to Harry and dropping his parchment and books on the table. Ron's eyes widened significantly, apparently Nott hadn't dared to sit at the same table before, "Potions was rough today, but I guess you wouldn't know, Weasley."

"Shut it, Nott," Ron snarled, trying desperately not to reach over and knock the senses out of the Slytherin. The boy just ignored him and seemed to be ignoring Harry as well as he poked Hermione's book with a long and skinny finger.

"Hermione, why _do_ you hang out with such characters that are so _below _your caliber?"

Harry bit his tongue and pushed out his seat, ready to leave but also very ready to stop Ron from pummeling Nott. His friend's face had gone furiously red, but surprisingly Ron hadn't moved an inch off of his seat. Hermione, sighing exasperatedly, put her book down and sent a loathsome look at Nott,

"Theodore, why do you bother talking to me?" She closed up her book and began to shuffle her papers into a pile. She stood up angrily, putting her hands on her hips, "You _know_ our conversations always end up with yelling or you being…_rude_."

"What? Asking questions is being _rude_?" Nott responded innocently, making Harry grip his wand.

It was quite fine for Hermione to have admirers, he couldn't stop _that_, but when he knew that they were taking it _too_ far, that they were making her uncomfortable…Harry immediately began to think of Hermione as the sister he never had, so of course, he had to act like the brother he never was…

"You know Nott, I don't think Hermione appreciates you following her around like a deranged shadow," Harry shot, praying that the Slytherin would get the picture. Nott didn't, unfortunately, and stared at Hermione with something that seemed like relish.

"Oh," Nott said, standing up and gripping the table. His eyes looked her up and down, "there are _many _ways I could get her to _appreciate_ it…"

Hermione gasped and sat down abruptly, looking furious. Harry was pulling his arm back to pummel Nott (forgetting about his wand completely), when Ron stood up slowly and silently.

The young wizard watched as Ron's eyes narrowed, his fists clenched and his shoulders rising slowly as he tried to control his breathing. Ron looked _furious_, but was using all of his might to keep himself from exploding. As quick as a Snitch disappears, Ron's arm shot out, and he grabbed Nott by the neck of his tie, pulling him across the table so that the Slytherin's face was centimeters from his.

"Don't you _ever_ look or talk to her like that _again_," Ron hissed, his voice even with fury. Nott only seemed slightly miffed at the threat, and he released a long breath through his nose,

"What are you, her bleeding boyfriend?"

Harry flinched slightly, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Hermione groaned silently and put her face in her hands. Ron didn't seem fazed, though, his face was neutral for the first time in his life,

"Stay away from her, Nott, or you'll regret it."

It seemed that not all Slytherins were as slick as they were supposed to be, because Nott just grinned and shot another look at Hermione,

"Well, since _he's_ not your boyfriend, would you mind meeting me in that broom closet I mentioned before—_umph_!"

Harry winced as Nott flew across the floor and into a shelf of books. Not because he felt bad or anything, but because he knew the strength of Ronald Weasley's arms, and they weren't arms you wanted to get slammed with.

"_Ron_!" Hermione semi-shrieked, still having the right mind to stay quiet in the Library. She grabbed his sleeve before he could go around the table to beat up Nott even more, though it was painfully obvious that he wanted to, _badly_.

Nott seethed with anger and stood up with a flourish, taking brisk steps to the table and swiping up all of his belongings, throwing back one of Harry's books he had mistakenly swept up.

"You'll pay for that, Weasley," he spat, huffing off and kicking the table of Mark Evans; the boy had been sitting quietly, watching the entire transaction behind his rather large quill.

"Ron, did you have to hit him so hard?" Hermione grumbled, though she only seemed slightly frazzled.

"Yes, he did, Hermione," Harry interjected sitting back down and looking quite pleased at the fact that Madame Pince hadn't scurried over and kicked them out.

"I'm going to go," Ron croaked, avoiding their eyes as he pushed himself far from the table. The redness of his face had disappeared and now his cheeks were a pale green, his hands shaking as they tried to grip the table.

"Ron, what's wrong?" Hermione asked worriedly, shooting a glance towards Harry. Ron shook his head and stood, wavering slightly as he tried to maintain his balance. He looked as if he was going to throw up, and Harry caught his eye for a brief second before Ron looked away, startled.

Harry had never seen Ron look so truly terrified, his eyes were glazed over as if he was recalling a terrible memory or dream…

_Oh_.

Had the altercation with Nott been a reminder of what had gone on in the Department of Mysteries? Was Ron reliving a memory that he had kept hidden from his friends, one that he hadn't dared to share?

"Ron, let's go back to the dorm," Harry said soothingly, shooing Mark Evans away (he had approached the trio when Ron had faltered).

His friend clenched his teeth as if in pain and nodded slightly, putting a hand to his forehead. Hermione looked completely distressed and stumbled to the desk, trying to put all of their belongings away as Harry took over helping Ron.

"You look _bad_," Mark Evans commented as they passed.

"I'm _fine_—" Ron argued, though he put his hand on a nearby shelf and leaned onto it, his eyes shut tightly and a large grimace on his face.

"_Ron_, you are _not_ fine!" Hermione said in her shrilly 'I'm-not-liking-the-fact-that-I-don't-know-what's-going-on' voice. "Not being able to stand up without wavering is _not _fine!"

"I'm dizzy!" he exclaimed, not noticing, or caring, that Madame Pince was storming towards them. Ron looked frantically between the two of them, his shoulders scrunched, "I'm _dizzy_! I get like this—I can't," he groaned, bending over with his palms pressed tightly to his temples.

"What's going on here, what's wrong with him?" Madame Pince asked, looking only slightly concerned about Ron's behavior.

"He's nauseous, we have to get him out of here before he…well, _you know_," Hermione said in her sweetest and most concerned voice, hoping that the Librarian would believe her.

Madame Pince's eyes took on a wild, terrified look and ushered the trio out quickly, muttering something under her breath about her dear books.

**A/N:** Sorry that this chapter is a bit shorter than the rest...I had to cut it off there because if I didn't, it would've been a twenty page chapter, lol. Chapter 7 makes up for this length, so stay tuned! Hinthint, reviews will definitely bring the next chapter faster, mwuahahahaha! :-)


	7. Memories

Chapter 7- Memories

It took Harry and Hermione a bit to get Ron back to the tower, thankfully not running into anything that might delay their arrival. The common room was empty except for a few first years, who then scrambled away when Ron shouted in a very angry voice to get out of there.

After he was settled on the couch, Harry and Hermione stood over their friend, looking almost interrogating.

"Right, so what in bloody hell was _that_?" Harry asked, not bothering to tiptoe around the obvious. Ron's mouth dropped open as if to explain, but he shut it rather quickly, his face flushing.

"Don't bother avoiding it, Ron," Hermione scolded, tapping her foot. "Why on Earth did you react like that? Do you even _know_?"

"Of course I bloody know, but do you have to quiz me like you're McGonagall?" He threw himself into the couch, crossing his arms stubbornly. "You don't bug _Harry_ like this!"

"Because _you_ don't _let _me and _don't _curse!" Hermione screamed back before Harry could act offended, "It's not _right _to keep things from your friends, Ron! Especially when it's hurting you—how is it helping that you're _hiding _this from us?"

Harry put a hand on Hermione's arm, and she swerved to him looking furious. He sent her a look that said he was a bit put off with her, but that it wasn't the time. She released an annoyed sigh and slammed herself down into the chair nearest the fireplace.

"Ron, what is it? What…why did you get sick?" he asked slowly, sitting on the arm of the couch. His friend huffed slightly, looking like a child that didn't get his way, but when he realized that Harry and Hermione were not relenting, Ron threw his arms to his side, sighing.

"It's the scars, all right? There—I said it."

"What are they making you _do_?" Hermione inquired, her voice soft as if not to scare Ron away from the subject. She had been waiting since the first day of school to question him about his odd actions around things.

"They make me forget things that bother me or…or that mean something to me," Ron muttered, his ears flushing red. "They make me…they get me dizzy when I _feel_ too strongly."

"How…how could they do that?" Harry wondered, turning towards Hermione. She shook her head slightly, gaping at Ron,

"They're intensifying your emotions, they—they're making you use your brain more than you normally do—"

"_Hey_," Ron growled, looking hurt.

"Shut it," she dismissed him. "Certain parts of your brain do certain things, and the brain that attacked you, it's…well, it's making those parts work at least double the amount they're supposed too…_oh_, I wish I was home, then I could search through my father's library, he's got to have _something_ on brains…"

"I don't think a Muggle doctor is going to help Ron," Harry commented dryly, "plus, isn't your dad a dentist?"

"He's a _doctor_, of course he has interest in _other_ fields of medicine!" Hermione retorted, glaring at Harry. Her gaze slowly turned back to Ron, softening, "When did you first notice this?"

Ron flushed and avoided their eyes; Harry was now on the other side of the questioning, it felt just as bad as being the one questioned.

"Harry's party," he grumbled. "I had been excited about him coming, and I just…forgot."

"And you had been planning it for weeks…" Hermione murmured, looking very intrigued. "Any other occurrences? Is it just when you're mad?"

At this, Ron's face turned a furious shade of red and he stiffened noticeably. Hermione shot Harry a glance, but he was too interested in Ron's reactions. Harry searched his mind for any other time that Ron seemed to forget things, and the morning after the wedding struck him,

"You were lying about Fred giving you drinks?" Harry asked suspiciously. Ron caught his eye and nodded slightly.

"What? Wait—when?" Hermione asked, not enjoying the fact that she didn't know something.

Harry opened his mouth to say something, but Ron coughed loudly, doubling over. Hermione was over to him in a split second, and it was then that Harry realized that the brain was affecting Ron when he was extremely _happy_ as well…was that the reason for Hermione's sly looks the morning before term began? Harry smiled, knowing that he was going to have to question Ron later, but would first have to save him from embarrassing himself in front of Hermione,

"Ron, what do they do? You can…_feel_ them doing…things?" Harry asked after Ron had sat back up. His friend looked grateful for a split second, and then grimaced, gripping his arm.

"They start to throb, so then I know when I have to calm down or…stop."

"You didn't exactly stop with Nott, today," Hermione chided, her face pale. Ron's ears flamed,

"Oh yes I did. I wanted to kill him, but they started to hurt before I could."

"You knocked the breath out of him, if it helps," Harry added, noticing a slight smile on Ron's lips. "You're going to have to tell Madame Pomfrey about this; she _had_ mentioned something about them being powerful."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," said Ron with a glum face, "Do you think she's going to make me do something stupid?"

"Maybe some therapy, to get over the affects," Hermione explained, grimacing at the idea of so much time with Madame Pomfrey. "She's going to smother you worse than your mum."

Ron groaned and Harry held in a smile. The relief on his friend's face relieved him slightly, too—stressed out people around him weren't going to help Harry deal with his inner demons any better than he had been, so it was good that Ron was going to seek help.

"See?" Hermione prodded, literally jabbing Ron in the ribs, "It's good to talk, to let out your secrets. Will you let me bother Harry from now on?"

Ron laughed and poked her back, nodding in approval. Harry, on the other hand, felt his stomach plummet, and he suddenly felt very cold.

_"To let out your secrets…" _

Harry hadn't told them about the prophecy and what he had heard. He had decided that it was good thing that he didn't want to worry them, but by the comforted expression of Ron, Harry wasn't sure if he had made the right decision. Could the burden of the prophecy on his shoulders be the cause of his dark cloud, his melancholy persona?

What would they do? Ron would probably sit in shock, and then try to make the best out of it, make a joke. Hermione would fret and ask a million questions he couldn't answer, and then shoot off another million to her self, wondering why she hadn't figured it out earlier.

It was pointless to keep it to him self unless he wanted to suffer with the knowledge that only he and Dumbledore shared. Did he want to be the lone bearer; was he being greedy by wanting Ron and Hermione to share his grief? 

"Harry?" Hermione called, snapping him out of the fog he had found himself in a lot these past few months, "I won't _really_ drive you crazy, if that's what you're wondering…"

"Er…no, sorry. I was just…" He frowned, looking down at his hands. Ron and Hermione turned to him, both looking concerned.

"Got a deep dark secret, Harry?" Ron said with a half-smile. Harry looked up, biting his tongue and taking in a silent breath. Ron and Hermione's smiles faded as they noticed his serious expression.

"Actually…" Harry said softly, looking back up at them, "I do."

He told them about watching Sirius fall through the veil, and how he had gone after Bellatrix Lestrange. He told them about his attempt to use the Cruciatus Curse, his failure at it, and then the duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort. He told them about the meeting with Dumbledore, how angry he had been and how he had thrown things around the office, not caring if they shattered into thousands of pieces. He told them about the prophecy, how it could've been Neville, he told the entire thing with all the details he could must.

And they didn't say a word. Maybe Harry had been speaking too quickly and urgently, but neither of them made a sound to interrupt him, or a movement to knock him off of his course. Ron's face had paled greatly at each new revelation, and Hermione had hidden her mouth behind her hands, hiding her reactions.  Harry was grateful for the silence, for the undivided attention and for the heavy weight he hadn't realized he'd been carrying on his shoulders.

When his entire story had been related, Harry looked at his two best friends with a slight sense of worry—they had been polite enough not to interrupt him, but were they going to stay calm after it was all said an done? He had just told them an enormous amount of information that he had been withholding for a very long time…would they be offended that he hadn't bothered to tell them?

"Bloody hell," Ron murmured, combing a hand through his hair. "Oh _hell_."

"Harry…" Hermione started, but she choked and had to stop, her eyes wide and glazed. Harry smirked, clasping his hands together. They were more shocked than angry, it seemed.

"Is this why you barely responded to our letters?" Ron asked slowly, covering his eyes with his hands. "Those short, three sentence answers?"

Harry shrugged, removing his glasses to press his hand into his eyes.

"Well…I guess that's part of it, I just never really felt like doing it…"

"Thanks," Ron snorted, remaining hidden behind his hands. Harry's stomach lurched at how his friend had taken the comment, but what he had said was true. He didn't respond because it was Ron and Hermione, he simply didn't want to no matter how much they bugged him.

"You could've told us earlier, Harry," Hermione whispered, looking ashen. "I mean…we already figured out that the prophecy had to do _something _with why Voldemort was after you."

"I didn't…I don't know why I didn't tell you," he admitted, feeling slightly ashamed. "It's…it's big, and…"

"And you didn't think that your best friends would want to help you through it," Ron growled, pulling his hand away from his eyes. He looked seriously hurt at the fact of being kept in the dark for so long, but instead of feeling guilty, Harry felt a sudden anger rise up inside of him.

"How do you think _I_ felt, Ron?" he shouted, gripping the couch. "No one told me _anything _last year! I was left in the dark all because of a bloody prophecy, because I had 'enough responsibility to be going on with.' I felt stupid and still do, Ron, I feel _bloody BAD_ about it!"

"We could've _helped_!" Ron argued back, "We've been right along with you this entire time! Since that first train ride to Hogwarts! You've _never_ had to do anything alone! Harry, we've always been there! And for you to hide something of that importance from us, something that pretty much _set_ the rest of your life, it's like…to hell with you, Ron and Hermione!" 

"_Ron_," Hermione scolded, putting a hand on his arm. She turned to Harry, still looking worried, "It's just…Harry, you _can't_ do this alone even if the prophecy says what it says. You _need_ us."

"_I_ have to kill him, Hermione," Harry countered, "_I_ have to defeat him for him to be gone forever!"

"Technically, yes," Hermione answered softly, obviously trying to remain the one calm person out of the trio, "but what about when we went after the Sorcerer's stone? Would you have gotten to Quirrel if Ron hadn't won us that chess match?"

"What about the Chamber of Secrets?" Ron added, "It was _Hermione_ who figured out it was a basilisk, people could've died, _Ginny_ would've died…"

"This is _different_, this is _my wand_ killing him," Harry exclaimed, his breathing ragged, "I have to become a murderer no matter what you two do to try and make it less difficult!"

"Shouldn't be _that_ hard," Ron muttered, crossing his arms.

"But still," Hermione continued, ignoring Ron, "we can research spells, we can help you figure out what you need to do—if you faced him now there's…there's no way you'd defeat him and you _know_ that Harry!"

"I don't _care,_ Hermione!"

There, he had finally said it. He hadn't cared about anything since June, nothing made the dull ache in his heart go away, there was nothing he cared about enough to make him forget, to make him move on. Harry Potter was stuck in a rut of hopelessness, in a cave that stopped him from thinking things through and made him want to make everyone and everything go away to leave him alone forever.

"I don't _want _your help, I want you to just leave me alone and let me _do _this; this is something _I _have to do!" Harry stood up, throwing his arms up, "I don't need your worrying or support—it won't matter when I go one on one against Voldemort! It won't matter that I've had years of training here at Hogwarts; all that'll matter is that I, Harry Potter, the boy-who-_bloody_-lived, takes down Voldemort. That's _it_. That's _all that matters_."

He looked down at his friends, who stared up at him with wide eyes full of disbelief. Hermione was on the brink of tears, but she kept eye contact with him because she was determined to change his mind. Ron's face was neutral, but his wavering eyes spilled the truth.

"Harry…" Hermione choked, swiping at her eyes. "Don't do this, _please_, don't be the hero."

A flash of anger that Harry had not felt so strongly since last year swelled up in his chest and he clenched his fists to try and stop his desired reaction,

"Don't start with that, Hermione," he warned, his face scarily hot. Ron noticed and sat up, looking defiant,

"She's right, Harry; you can't go off and be the Wizarding world's savior just because you think you have to." Ron took a deep breath, "If you hadn't just gone off last year…you could've been _Sirius' _savior."

Harry's blood literally ran cold, and he felt his heart stop for a brief moment as he digested the words of his best friend. Ron looked ready to defend himself at any moment, and somewhere in the back of his mind, Harry was glad that he was: he was ready to curse him until he was purple, with the anger that had risen.

"How _dare_ you use that against me!" he said stiffly, a cold shiver rushing through the body.

"He's not," Hermione interrupted, but she bit her lip, "but…he's _right,_ Harry. I would think the loss of your Godfather would make you understand that you need to work with us and listen to us to be successful."  

"So you admit it then," Harry said angrily, growing furious at the tears in his eyes, "It's my fault that Sirius is dead."

"_No_!" Ron and Hermione exclaimed together, but since Hermione was the sensible one she continued, "Of _course_ it's not your fault, but if you had stopped and figured out a plan—if you had just informed a Professor or _someone_…"

"Sirius could still be alive," Harry finished for her, hoping they didn't notice the slight strain of his voice. Hermione nodded slightly and Ron remained still. "Well, you two wouldn't have gotten hurt, but I would never have found out about the prophecy so I'd _still _be in the dark about the rest of my life."

Ron frowned, covering his face with his hands,

"Why does everything end up doing _something_?" he groaned. Harry, still annoyed at him, clenched and unclenched his fists. Hermione stood then, taking tentative steps towards Harry. When he didn't flinch or back away, she put her hands on his shoulders, looking deathly serious.

"Harry," she began, her voice quavering, "I don't care how much you deny it, or don't want to believe it, but we're _always_ going to help you, no matter how hard you push us away. Last year we were allowing you to get some time to yourself but now…now that we know about the prophecy, Harry, we're not going to let you do that."

"Yeah, we're going to be neck deep in your business," Ron joked, though his eyes were serious. "We're not exactly scared of you, anymore."

Harry didn't know whether he should take that as an insult, but he didn't bother trying to figure it out. He understood what they meant, but he wasn't ready to just hug and forgive them for bringing up memories he wished he had never experienced. He didn't like their method of getting him to understand, even if it worked.

"I'm…I'm going to take a walk," he said softly, shrugging Hermione's hands off his shoulders. He started towards the portrait hole, swiping up his bag from the floor.

"You're going to think about what we said?" Hermione called.

Harry nodded slightly and waved over his shoulder, not mad, but definitely not pleased. He needed to get out of the common room before he exploded with all the thoughts that were racing through his head, and he knew he'd regret the things he wanted to do if he did them.

He exited the portrait, not knowing where he was headed.

Harry didn't know how he got there, or why he had decided to go there, but the lake with the giant squid was where he ended up. It was a bit chilly seeing that it was almost November, so there were no other students on the ground, except for the occasional couple that was strolling hand in hand towards some secret spot.

He jammed his hands into his pockets and scrunched his shoulders high so he could try to keep his cheeks warm for a little bit. Harry wondered why he had gone outside without his bigger cloak, but he supposed his mind wasn't exactly worrying about how warm he was.

Ron and Hermione had hit hard with their comments, with their attempts at getting him to realize that he might need help. Harry knew he did, he knew that he wouldn't be able to find any useful charms without Hermione's help, or that he couldn't keep his workload and Quidditch stable without Ron helping alongside him. It was obvious and he knew it, but he couldn't accept it and for now he wouldn't until they forced him to.

Harry knew he was being stubborn and he knew that Ron or Hermione would call him on it now that they 'weren't scared of him.' What was that supposed to mean, anyway? Were they really worried that he was going to hit them, or something? He had never forcefully done anything to them, except for that time when he threw something directly at Ron's head…

He kicked a stone and watched as it skipped across the lake a couple of times before it sunk to the bottom. Harry looked at his surroundings and he realized that he had walked pretty far from the school, though still close enough that he wouldn't get in trouble for wandering off. There was no one in sight; no birds or guard trolls could be seen. He was alone and he was grateful.

Harry bent down and scooped up a rock, letting it slip through his fingers as if it was a Snitch trying to escape. He'd only let it if he could. He gripped it tightly and looked out over the lake, noticing the sparkles the sun and water created. It was pretty, but he didn't pay it any extra mind.

With all the strength he could muster, Harry hurled the stone towards the lake, watching as it fell in an arc and then dropped soundlessly into the water with a small splash.

"That was for Ron and Hermione, the prats," he muttered, knowing it wasn't true. Harry dug his foot into the sand and dug up another rock, this one a big bigger, but rougher.

"This one's for Snape and how he's constantly pissing me off," Harry growled, throwing this rock further and with more force. He found another one, "And this is for Voldemort for ruining my life and because he's such a bloody _wanker_."

He continued to search for rocks suitable for throwing, and he put them in a pile before he began to throw them again.

"This is for Malfoy who's a git and will always _be_ a git." This rock soared and bounced a few times before it sunk. "This is for Dean for making Ginny cry and breaking her heart! This is for Umbridge, the wench who stopped me from playing Quidditch! This is for Dumbledore, who thought he knew what was best for me, who didn't give me the Prefect badge and left me all alone last year when I needed him the most…"

Harry's breathing rate was fast and heavy. His pile had dwindled considerably, but there were still a few left,

"This is for my stupid eyes that won't stop tearing," he choked, pausing for a moment before he threw the rock. "This-this is for my voice that won't stop cracking…" Harry plopped to the ground and picked up his last rock, tossing it from hand to hand as he revved up his energy to throw it,

"And this…this is for _Sirius_," he lost his voice and he had to bow his head before he continued with his teeth clenched, "this is for Sirius because he left me, because he died and left me _alone_."

Harry snatched off his glasses and pushed his fists into his eyes, the rock clenched tightly in his fingers.

"For Sirius because he had to be stupid and go af-after me, because he couldn't just _listen_."

He sucked in a deep breath, pulling his hands away from his eyes and trembling because of the breeze that had gone by and something more. Harry pulled his arm back and threw the rock and watched as it plunked into the lake, a soft 'plop' being heard.

"It's not fair," he murmured, picking up some sand and tossing it into the water. "It's not _fair_."

Harry grabbed at his hair and unceremoniously scrambled to his feet. He let go of his hair and kicked the sand and gravel, his arms flailing, "It's not _FAIR! _ HOW COULD YOU _DO _THIS TO ME?" he screamed to no one.

He kicked the large rock near by, not caring that his toe now throbbed, "I _loved_ you, you were my family and I _needed_ you!" he cried, not caring about the tears that slipped out of his eyes. "How _dare_ you do this to me! How-how…it's not _fair_…it's not fair how much it hurts to miss you…"

His lips were quivering as he fell to the ground, his knees pulled up to his chest. Harry ran his fingers through his hair nervously; never have reacting so violently before. He had never cried so openly before, either, and his actions were scaring him much more than Voldemort could ever.

The water of the lake splashed at his feet, and Harry turned to look at his black bag with tear-filled eyes. His hand reached for the strap and he pulled it towards him, with the other hand he was trying to furiously wipe away the tears. He rummaged through the bag before he found the secret pocket Hermione had installed for him, and with a shaky breath, he opened it, pulling out the small mirror he had hidden there.

Taking a moment to try and regain some composure, and though he was still shaking with silent tears, Harry said,

"R-Remus Lupin."

The mirror fogged up and it a few more seconds than normal before Lupin answered, visibly disturbed.

"_Harry_? Harry—what's wrong? Why…" Harry shook his head, his teeth chattering and his hair stuck to his forehead,

"P-Professor…is this an okay time to talk?"


	8. Daring Dives

**A/N: For some reason, the breaks in the story weren't showing up in the preview...so, sorry for the lack of format, lol. You'll be able to tell when the 'time' and stuff changes. **

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**Chapter 8**- Daring Dives

Harry only noticed that he had been outside for a long time when he sneezed, making Lupin laugh quietly.

"I think you better get inside before you become a human icicle," he chided, a sympathetic grin on his face. Harry nodded softly, leaning back against a large rock.

"Ron and Hermione will probably send out the guard if I don't get back soon."

"Nah, Professor Snape wouldn't relay the message."

It was then that the snide comment the Potions Master had made resurfaced in front of his eyes, and Harry squinted his eyes at his former Professor.

"Professor? Snape said something really odd."

"What did _Professor_ Snape say?" Lupin gently scolded, though he looked interested. Harry squirmed slightly, tilting his head,

"Well, he said I was the cause of Ginny and Dean's breakup—which is ridiculous, but anyway, he said that I was like my father in that way…but I didn't understand what he meant." A thought suddenly occurred to Harry, and his expression turned from quizzical to sickened. "Ew, Professor? Did my mum _date_ Sn—_Professor_ Snape? Did, oy, my dad steal her away?"

Lupin let out a howl of a laugh, and his shoulders shook for quiet some time.

"Oh Harry, _no_! Your mother was an incredibly loving woman, but she wasn't _that _loving!"

Harry snickered slightly, but he still wanted to know the reasoning behind Snape's comment.

"So…what did he mean?" He watched as Lupin's expression turned into one of thoughtfulness, and Harry swore there was a slight blush on his former Professor's cheeks.

"Lily Evans was the most remarkable witch in our year, well, in all of Hogwarts as your dad would've said. So…it was a bit depressing to the male population when she finally confessed her love for your father," Remus rolled his eyes a bright smile on his face. "Actually, she cursed him first, and _then_ agreed to go out with him."

Harry let out a shocked laugh and shook his head in disbelief. He wished he had been able to see his parents' relationship even if was only for a short while. They seemed to have a love/hate thing happening, and he knew from experience that those were the most amusing.

"Were _you _part of that section of the male population?" Harry had to ask the question, seeing as Snape had specifically told him to ask Lupin. Again, that blush rose on Lupin's cheeks and he shrugged suggestively.

"We were prefects together for two years, people suspected things, though I suppose you don't want to hear about your mother's love life…"

"Ew. No thanks," Harry managed a real laugh with his former Professor before he stood up. "I'm going to go…" He smiled, pure and authentic. "Thanks, Professor."'

"I told you Harry, any time. And call me Remus, will you? I haven't been your professor for three years!" Lupin looked genuinely happy with the turn of the conversation the two had shared, and waved a goodbye as Harry put the mirror away.

It had been a very successful outing, Harry thought as he trudged back towards the castle, noticing how _really _late it was. He wondered where Ron and Hermione were when he saw a gaggle of first years scurry down to the Great Hall. His neighbor Mark waved to him slightly, though he seemed to be in a deep conversation with one of his fellow Gryffindors.

"Wait." Harry stopped dead in his tracks, watching as the first years disappeared around a corner. "Mark _Evans_?"

"You think he's related to you?"

Hermione peered over her pot of knotgrass. She was indeed very focused on perfecting the grass, seeing as it may be useful; it was an ingredient to Polyjuice Potion. It was two weeks after the fight/discussion, and though Harry was still on edge with his two best friends, he couldn't managed to completely be mad at them. He had waited a bit before he disclosed his connection between his mother and Mark, because he figured that a new mystery wouldn't be the best way to start up a conversation with them again.

"Well…he lives near me and has my mum's maiden name, I have to be a bit suspicious," Harry said as he trimmed the plants. Herbology wasn't getting any harder because it was a N.E.W.T. class, it was just more tedious because cuts and holes and everything that had to deal with planting and maintaining the plants had to be more precise.

"Don't you think he'd know that, though?" Ron added. "He said his Grandmum was a witch, wouldn't she know about Lily Evans?"

"She'd know about Lily _Potter_," Hermione noted, looking thoughtful. "I suppose you could ask him to ask her, though if you've never heard of any uncles, Harry, I think it's just a coincidence."

With little scissors they continued for the rest of the class, snipping away at grass until it was all even and smooth on the top. Higher grades were given to those students whose grass had remained above twelve centimeters. Hermione's was fourteen while Harry and Ron had barely managed an eleven.

As they left the class, they spotted the fifth year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs coming from Care of Magical Creatures, Ginny lagging behind and holding her left arm tightly to her chest. The trio made a beeline towards her, and she smiled weakly up at them as Ron inquired about her arm,

"I slipped down the hill towards class, I busted my elbow up right and nice."

"Go to the Hospital Wing," Hermione suggested, though it seemed more like a demand. Ginny shook her head, rolling her eyes at the same time Ron did.

"You think you'll be alright for tomorrow's match?" Harry asked as they entered the school and headed down the hallway toward Gryffindor Tower. Ginny shrugged and used her other hand to move some hair out of her eyes.

"As long as it doesn't get slammed into, I'll be fine…I'm right-handed, remember?"

Harry hadn't remembered, but he recalled her swift throws of the Quaffle, and they were indeed with her right hand. Ron had started up a conversation of some new plays he had devised with his sister and Katie Bell ("You just keep doing what you've been doing, Harry!"), who he had waved over from a group of other girls.

He and Hermione watched on in interest as Ron used wild gesticulations to describe the plays, and Harry ushered over Corona Moon, the newest Chaser, towards the group. They entered the common room, and the group of discussing Gryffindors headed to the corner.

"Ron definitely has a knack for Quidditch," Hermione noted, looking a bit surprised. "I mean, I knew he loved it, but I didn't think he'd take such an initiative."

"I'll tell him you said that," Harry said with a grin, earning a slap on the arm from Hermione. "But you're right, he's good at it. I haven't figured out how he sees all these formations and loopy things."

"Chess, Harry. He's a master and you know it." Hermione shrugged sitting down on the couch. "It's just a miracle that he's using his intelligence for once, he didn't get named Prefect for nothing."

Harry avoided her eyes as he pulled out his Charms notebook, hoping to get a start on an essay that was going to take him at least a week to finish. He didn't think disclosing the information about Harry's lack of a Prefect badge he had gotten from Dumbledore would be a good idea, so he concentrated on the essay, hoping to get a decent amount done before he went to bed. The first Quidditch match of the year, against Slytherin of all teams, was going to require all the energy he could get.

But his mind drifted back to Mark, and with a glance at Hermione to make sure that she wasn't paying attention to him, he dipped his quill into the inkwell and headed the parchment,

_Dear Dudley…_

He didn't know where to go from there. Would he be able to risk getting a letter to his cousin without his aunt and uncle seeing? Hedwig was smart enough to hide it from them, but was Dudley? And who was to say that Dudley would actually respond? Harry was going on that little bit of hope his cousin had given him the last time he saw him. He had cleaned up the mess and didn't beat him up, which was definitely something. Determined, he began to write,

_I know it's not normal for you to be getting a letter from me, but I just have a simple question. Does you mum have any male relatives on her side with the surname Evans? It's important for me to know, but I'll understand if you don't want to do this for me. Thanks if you do._

_--Harry_

__

"Welcome wizards, witches, and all of you other magical creatures to the first Hogwarts Quidditch match of the year, I'm your host, Seamus Finnegan, here to bring to you the excitement and action of a fierce rivalry, Gryffindor versus Slytherin!"

The crowd hollered madly as both teams entered the field, broomsticks in hand. Harry nervously twitched his feet, realizing for the first time that this was _his_ team on the field, and that he was in control of what happened.

Oh hell.

"Come on Harry." Ron gave him a slight push so that he would head towards the center of the field to shake the Slytherin Captain's hand. Luckily enough for Harry, Malfoy hadn't been given the title, and it was Montague who met him. He sneered and the two barely listened to the rules Madame Hooch was announcing because they were too busy glaring at each other.

"Teams, mount your brooms!"

Sweat immediately appeared on his forehead, and he was happy for the gloves he had received from Ron for his birthday.

"Release the snitch and bludgers!"

Harry watched the small golden ball for a few seconds before it disappeared in the bright light of the stadium. His eyes instead caught Ginny Weasley, who sent him an excited grin and a wink. The young wizard felt his stomach settle and shot off when Madame Hooch said,

"GO!"

He soared up high above the castle, flying to his usual height, mesmerized in the feeling he hadn't had in so long. He _loved_ flying on this pitch. Harry was about ready to do his normal loops around it to get his vision back into seeing quick moving objects, but the crowd erupted in cheers and Seamus screamed,

"WEASLEY SCORES! GRYFFINDOR'S GOT THE LEAD!"

Harry whooped a cheer as he saw Ginny and the other chasers celebrate for a moment before the Quaffle was back in play. He watched as they formed the defensive formation Ron had created, and with a large grin saw Katie manage to get the Quaffle back, just like Ron had predicted.

"And Gryffindor's stolen the Quaffle! Katie Bell is soaring towards the goal—Slytherin's Keeper has _no _chance! She shoots---SHE SCORES! TWENTY TO ZERO GRYFFINDOR!"

He saw Ron pump his arm and look sensationally proud. Harry knew he should be watching for the Snitch, but since Malfoy was just tailing him instead of searching on his own, he figured he could waste a few minutes watching his team perform.

It was _great_. All of the plays worked out perfectly and it was as if the Slytherin Chasers couldn't figure out that the girls had actually _planned _it all out. Both sets of Beaters were dueling it out with each other instead of aiming for the Chasers, because it seemed fruitless for the Slytherins to try and catch the Gryffindors.

"And here comes Montague with a fierce roll towards the Gryffindor goals, he shoots—no! He fakes right and goes left! It's…NO! WEASLEY'S GOT IT!"

"Thought last year's game was a fluke, Potter," Malfoy sneered as he hovered above Harry, "I didn't think the Weasel could _really _play."

"He doesn't think you can either, and unlike you, Ron's _right_." Harry smirked triumphantly as Malfoy fumed, going into a dive to get away.

"Does Malfoy have sight of the Snitch? Potter's not moving so it's highly doubtful…OUCH! Weasley is _slammed_ by Warrington, she's half your size you loathsome rotting---"

"FINNEGAN!" McGonagall's voice rang through the stadium.

There was a slight grumble of apology from Seamus, but he returned to the announcing in a much lighter voice, "But that's the way the cookie crumbles, and Weasley deserves a round of applause for managing to stay on her broom."

Harry hadn't seen the collision, but he watched now as Ginny tucked her left arm close to her body. They had hit her from the left? Why would they try to take out that arm if she was right handed?

There wasn't time to think about it, again, a Slytherin Chaser, Adrian Pucey, rammed his shoulder into Ginny, making her shriek with indignant pain.

"Well, while the Slytherins are finding it funny to beat up a _girl_, Corona Moon has scored two goals! Get out of the way, Weasley! Here comes Warrington again!"

Harry's head snapped down towards the field and with clenched teeth saw the Slytherin Chaser heading straight towards Ginny, who was staring determinedly at the goals with the Quaffle tucked under her arm. Warrington was zooming at a fast speed, and Harry was sure that this collision would send Ginny flying off of her broom.

"Here it goes," he muttered under his breath, and with a blink he was in a steep dive, trying to calculate the exact point he should try to hit.

"POTTER'S GONE INTO A DIVE! HAS HE SEEN THE SNITCH?"

_Not exactly…_Harry thought as his hair whipped in the air. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Malfoy's outreached hand, though what he was reaching for Harry had no idea: he had not spotted the Snitch and doubted Malfoy really had.

"Malfoy's right on him, can you see it? I can't see the bloody thing!" ("FINNEGAN!" "Er…the _little_ thing?")

Warrington hadn't stopped his trek towards Ginny, and if Harry had figured out things right, he could knock out two birds with one stone.

"Wait, there's no Snitch! They're—they're going to COLLIDE!"

The crowd gasped and Harry felt more than saw Malfoy stutter. Ginny looked up and her eyes widened in surprise as Harry managed push Ginny away with his shoulder while Warrington and Malfoy slammed perfectly into each other.

"_Oooh_," the crowd groaned in unison as Malfoy and Warrington spun away from each other grabbing their heads to try and stop the dizziness. Harry let go of a breath he had been holding; he thought maybe a foul would be called, but no whistle was heard.

Ginny stared at Harry with wide, curious eyes, but she thrust the ball to Katie, who swiftly shot it through the hoop, scoring another ten points.

"And Gryffindor scores after a horrible looking crash between Malfoy and Warrington, they seemed to be getting back into the action, but who _really _cares?"

_Got to find that Snitch before Malfoy decides to ram _me

So he soared back up over the pitch, his eyes looking for any indication of something sparkly or quick moving, and he was surprised after a few minutes, that he found the Snitch hovering near Ron's right foot.

"Got ya."

He pulled himself as close to his Firebolt as possible, taking away all the wind resistance he could. His dive wasn't as steep as the last one he had completed, but he had to watch out incase Ron made a sudden jerk to stop the Quaffle (Slytherin was in possession).

"Potter looks determined, but is this another trick? He's heading straight for his own goals!" Seamus seemed very excited, though he was obviously trying not to fall for one of Harry's fakes again. "Flying right along side Montague, who's slowly pulling away from the Gryffindor Chasers!"

Harry couldn't hear the roar of the crowd, if there _was_ a roar, for all of his focus was on the Snitch, who seemed to be having fun with Ron's untied shoelace.

"And Malfoy's caught up to Potter, the three of them are so close they seem like one big red and green blur!"

For a split second Harry wondered if Ron knew what he was going to do, but his question was answered as Ron didn't move as Montague shot towards the goal, keeping as still as possible to not scare the Snitch. With a last second decision, Harry pulled the brake on his broom, snatching up the snitch and stopping himself from crashing into Ron or the goal posts.

Malfoy's brakes weren't as good.

"_Ooh_."

"A second after Montague scores, Potter catches the Snitch and Malfoy and Weasley collide, what a _brutal_ match! But in more important news: GRYFFINDOR WINS 200 TO 10!"

Harry pumped his arms as he flew towards Ron, who was looking slightly dizzy after the collision. He smiled, though, and Harry knew that he was going to be all right.

"It was right tempting to move, but I knew I'd scare the Snitch," Ron joked, rubbing his shoulder.

"I wish there was a way I could've warned you," Harry apologized, floating down to the pitch where the rest of the team was celebrating. He watched as the Slytherins skulked off, Malfoy looking particularly peeved.

"Nah, I saw it before you did, I was just happy Ginny and the girls were keeping the Quaffle on the other side."

"That was a _marvelous_ catch, Harry!" Katie laughed, hugging him around the neck, "Congrats on your first win as Captain!"

He blushed furiously as she gave him a kiss on the cheek, followed by Corona who was so excited that she gave him _two_, one on each side. Ginny nudged him in the arm and sent him a dazzling grin from all the excitement of the match.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked, his voice soft and his eyes looking over her arm. She laughed and poked him in the chest,

"I'm _fine_, and don't you dare risk that again! You almost killed yourself!"

"Well I couldn't exactly let him ram into _you_! What if you had been hurt even _more_?"

Ginny stared up at him with her eyebrows furrowed and head tilted slightly, staring at Harry with very interested eyes. He felt a blush rush up his neck because of the examination, but maintained eye contact with her. With a soft laugh, Ginny shook her head and quickly wrapped her arms around his neck hugging him tightly.

"_Thanks_," she said softly, and she pulled back just as quickly as she had latched on. Harry hadn't even had a chance to hug her back before she was pulled away by Luna Lovegood, who was sporting her Gryffindor hat.

He stood stunned for a few seconds, but then was tackled by Ron and Neville, who were popping some small fireworks compliments of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

"Let's get going, Harry!" Neville exclaimed, shooting off a firecracker that roared like a lion.

"The party is already underway!" Ron laughed, rubbing his knuckles into Harry's head. With a smile and a nod, Harry followed the rest of the celebrating Gryffindors back towards the school, ready to have something of his own to commemorate.

The party was still in full swing at curfew, though Hermione and the other Prefects (Ron had dubbed himself 'Honorary _non_-Prefect' for the night.) didn't seem to mind. They all agreed that the light-hearted atmosphere was needed and could be extended as long as McGonagall allowed.

Harry was listening to one of Seamus' stories about announcing the match (the boy was very excited about the new job) when he noticed that Ginny seemed to be doing the exact opposite. He watched her for a few seconds, gazing off into the distance behind him with a slight frown on her face, before Harry turned around to see what she was looking at.

_Ah_.

Dean Thomas had his arm around Parvati Patil, and was looking quite cozy as they joked around with some seventh years. Harry's head snapped away before they could notice him staring, but something even worse occurred.

Ginny was staring at him with slightly narrowed eyes. Harry flushed and shrugged, but she just shook her head and gave him a soft roll of her eyes. Her take on the situation wasn't very convincing; Harry was still quite sure that she was still hurting over the breakup.

A sudden stinging of his forehead made Harry forget all about Ginny's romantic problems, and he put his head in his hand, hoping that he wouldn't attract attention. He tried to make it look as natural as possible, but the throbbing continued to grow, and he knew his face was contorted in pain.

Somewhere in the back of his mind he heard someone shout his name, but he couldn't force his eyes open to see, he was experiencing a vision, he knew it, if only it would come…

_The room was dark, but it smelled of alcohol. There were slight flickers of light coming from somewhere, but all the figures were covered in their black, or at least dark, robes._

_"Voinþã a voi tu ajutã-m_er_…_help_?" a voice asked. He had a British accent, but there was no way he was speaking anything remotely like English. Harry realized that it was the person on the other side of the room that was talking, his hands moving along with his words. _

_Who was it? Why would Voldemort want him to see this…? Pay attention, he scolded as the other person at the table spoke,_

_"Da , numai noi trebuie la spre a lua away de aici." What language was it? It didn't sound at all familiar, and Harry wasn't an expert on figuring this out…remember what it sounds like to ask Hermione, or Dumbledore…_

_"De ce?" the first person asked, sounding slightly startled. _

_"This is why," another third voice hissed._

_Harry's heart leapt as he realized he was watching the scene from Voldemort's point of view. He felt the wave of a wand, and all the candles in the room lit up bright and large. Somehow a breeze managed to knock the hood of all the cloaks off the heads of the people in the room, but it didn't put out the candles._

_The faces of the two men speaking appeared, and that was when Harry woke up with a jolt._

Ron and Hermione were standing on either side of him, while Ginny was still sitting in her seat, looking terrified. The entire room had gone silent, except for the whimpers from someone behind him.

"Harry? Harry, are you okay?" Hermione asked fearfully. Not responding, he reached out and grabbed Ron's tie, pulling him towards him. When he was sure that no one but Ron would hear him, he whispered in his friend's ear,

"It's Charlie."


	9. Premonitions

A/N: If you are still reading this story…THANK YOU! I haven't abandoned it, no, it's far from it. I've actually started college this September; Go University of Delaware!! :) Some of the later chapters are on my home computer and haven't been sent to me yet, and it's been hard getting ANYTHING that doesn't involve schoolwork done so…thank you for staying with my story, I'm very proud of it.

Oh, and if there are any spelling, grammar, or canonical errors, just tell me in the reviews. I whipped this up and posted it as soon as I thought it was ready…um, yeah. I wanted to please my readers :)

Chapter 9- Premonitions

Ron jumped away from him as if he had been burned. His eyes were wide with fright and he shook involuntarily.

"_What_?" he croaked, stumbling away. Harry's stomach fell as the look of pure horror cascaded over Ron's face.

"I've…I've got to see Dumbledore," he whispered, and Harry jumped up, pushing Hermione out of the way before he could realize what he was doing. Chatter arose before he even made it past the Portrait Hole, but he didn't care.

"Harry!" Hermione called from behind. Harry just lifted up an arm to show that he responded, but his pace began to quicken, and soon he was in a full out run towards the Headmaster's office.

He didn't worry about getting caught by Filch or Snape, anyone in their right mind knew that if they saw Harry Potter running with a frantic look on his face, that they better leave him be. The five flights of stairs he had to run down was quite a tedious task for someone who wanted to be somewhere in a hurry, but all his mind was set on was getting to the next staircase, then running down the hall to the next one.

For a brief moment he wished he could Apparate, but Hermione's voice scolded him in the back of his mind.

Finally, after what seemed like an hour of running, Harry skidded to a halt in front of the gargoyle statue that hid Dumbledore's office. It was when the statue didn't move to let him in that he realized he didn't know the password.

He let out a roar of frustration as he tried to recall various candies.

"Ice Mice? Cockroach Clusters! Droobles Best Blowing Gum! _Fudge Flies_!"

"This isn't a time to be aching for candy!" Ron's voice screamed from the other end of the hallway. Harry whirled around to see him and Hermione a few feet from joining. He slammed his foot in impatience.

"The _password_! He uses candy! I can't think of any!"

"_Really_?" Hermione asked, looking incredibly interested. She tilted her head as she thought about the statement. "Huh, you would _think_ he'd try to project some _good _eating habits—"

"_HER_MI_ONE!_"

"Oh, sorry…cauldron cakes?"

Miraculously, and luckily for Hermione, the statue moved and opened up the stairwell towards the Headmaster's office. The boys rushed up as fast as they could, Harry throwing the door open and not caring if he was waking up the entire castle.

Dumbledore was seated at his desk, and he stared up at the three (Hermione had managed to join them) with curious eyes.

"What happened?" the Headmaster asked, knowing that the trio wouldn't barge into his office for no reason.

"I-I had a vision or…I _saw_, something," Harry jabbered, pacing, "It was a pub or-or _something_, but Charlie was talking to someone in this weird language and then Voldemort appeared—It was like I could see through his eyes and see _him _at the same time! But he exposed himself, and Charlie…he and the guy looked _so_ scared!"

"That's enough," Dumbledore interrupted, standing up and heading towards one of the sleeping portraits, "Phineas, wake up!"

The former Headmaster shook violently and jumped out of his chair, his hair flyaway.

"What—what is it?" he asked grumpily.

"Go to the headquarters and sound this alarm: Tame the Dragon has been interrupted with force, code _green_."

Nigellus jumped in surprise and disappeared from his portrait, and the other Headmasters began to whisper as well.

"What's going on, when will we find out?" Ron asked, gripping onto the back of a chair. "Charlie was in danger?"

Dumbledore nodded solemnly, heading over to another desk where he was flicking his hand over a number of small objects, then making them disappear with a small _pop_.

"He has backup, he wasn't alone."

"But it was—it was _him_!" Ron exclaimed.

The Headmaster turned to him slightly, looking interested, "_Who _was it, Mister Weasley?"

Harry watched as Ron's face burned a slight crimson, and he gulped. Hermione's eyes were determinedly set on Ron's face, and she watched with such interest that Harry was slightly taken aback.

"It was…" Ron shut his eyes for a moment, and Harry wondered if his scars were hurting. "V-_Vol_…Vol-demort."

Hermione gripped his arm and Ron bowed his head, though Harry could see that his ears were flaming. Dumbledore nodded slightly and then disappeared in to a back room of the office that Harry had never noticed.

They stood in silence for a few moments before Ron let out a shuddered breath, pulling away from Hermione to pace the room, a hand in his hair.

"Do you think he's okay?" he asked Harry, but he didn't stop his pace. Harry just shook his head and slumped down into a chair, staring straight out a window that he couldn't see out of.

"I have no idea, Ron, really…"

"He couldn't have been alone; there must have been other Order members with him…" Hermione added, slipping down into a bench under the window. Her shaking lip didn't help her strained voice.

Harry shut his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall behind him. Who knew how long it would take to get a response from Romania, where he assumed Charlie was. There must've been a battle, when would Dumbledore know the outcome? How long would it last?

He noticed his breathing was uneven and quietly, he began to try and calm it.

_In…out…in…out…in…_

……

Harry didn't realize he had fallen asleep until a loud snore startled him awake. He jittered and jerked slightly, his eyes blinking open and taking in his atmosphere. He was still in Dumbledore's office, but he had absolutely no idea what time it was; all the clocks had an immense amount of hands and didn't have any numbers, just symbols.

Another snore rang out through the office and Harry raised an eyebrow when he finally found Ron (he had shared a room with him long enough to know his snores). His roommate had apparently taken a seat next to Hermione, and the two had drifted off like Harry did. Her head was on his shoulder and his head was on top of hers.

_If only they could see each other now_.

Footsteps echoed through the office and Harry watched as Dumbledore exited from the back door. The Headmaster smiled slightly, and something inside of Harry knew that Charlie was okay.

"There were some injuries, but no causalities," Dumbledore said simply, taking a seat. He looked tired, but Harry supposed that it _was_ a bit late at night, whatever time it was. "I suggest you three make it back to the dorms…" The Headmaster waved his hand softly, and Hermione and Ron both yawned at the same time, blinking their eyes open and sitting up.

"How's Charlie?" Ron grumbled, standing up but wavering. He rubbed his eyes and looked over at Harry first, then at Dumbledore. His face grew red when he realized where he was.

"Charlie's fine, Mister Weasley, he received a few lacerations to his face, and a dislocated knee, but otherwise he is perfectly fine."

"Where were they?" Hermione asked, testing the waters. Whatever information they could get…

"He was on business for the Order in Romania, Miss. Granger," Dumbledore said smoothly, his eyes filled with slight twinkling. He knew the game they were playing. "I suggest you all go to bed, it's been a long day."

Harry nodded, itching to stay after and just talk to the old wizard, but knowing that his body wouldn't make it. The three bid the Headmaster good night and headed towards the dormitory in silence, though Harry knew his friends' minds were swirling as much as his.

"I can't wait till I'm of age," Ron said softly as they started down the hallway to the portrait of the Fat Lady. "I can't wait to join the Order."

"Your mum will have a fit," Hermione noted, though it sounded more like _she_ was the one who was going to react violently.

"Don't really care at the moment," Ron retorted curtly as he muttered the password to the Common Room ("Bouncing Ferrets").

Before he could enter, however, Hermione grabbed his arm and made him turn to her. Harry saw a flash in her eyes that he hadn't seen before, and it startled him and Ron noticeably.

"Promise me you'll finish school."

"What? Hermione…"

"Promise!"

Ron rolled his eyes and nodded, "Of course I'm going to finish school, why would you even question that?"

"And you too!" Hermione whirled on Harry, barely acknowledging Ron's question. "You have to promise, you _have_ to!"

Harry was slightly stunned at the change of pace, and in the silence of the hallway (actually, the Fat Lady was huffing because of the late hour they had awoken her), he nodded.

"Yeah, I promise, Hermione."

Her eyes glittered and with a nod she swept into the common room. Ron put a hand to his head as if he was growing a headache, and didn't move when he said,

"You know she's going to be crying in about a second or two."

"Yeah, let's get in there."

They climbed through the Portrait Hole to find that Hermione wasn't crying at all, she was actually speaking rather softly to someone the boys couldn't see.

"Yes, everything's quite alright, though Dumbledore wouldn't give us any more information than that."

"Oh, well I guess that was expected."

Harry and Ron entered to see Hermione standing near the couch, with Ginny and Neville Longbottom sitting on it, looking very sleepy. They both acknowledged the boys, and Ginny let out a long yawn, not bothering to cover her mouth.

"That makes me happy," said Ginny, rubbing her eyes. "I'll have to write to Charlie in the morning, though I'm a _bit _ticked off with you, Ron." She glared at her brother at the best way she could with her sleepy eyes.

"Me? _Why_?" Ron growled, falling into a nearby chair. His eyes were sagging but he stared angrily at his sister.

"Because you wouldn't let me go, thank _goodness_ Neville offered to stay with me until you lot returned!"

At this, Neville blushed a deep red and Harry immediately felt guilty for leaving Ginny behind. He had been in too much of a panic to ever think about bringing _Ron_, let alone her, but she still should have joined them.

"Sorry Ginny, it was just a mad dash..." Harry said, trying to reason with her.

"S'alright, Harry," she said, sending a softer glare in his direction. "Neville was the perfect gentleman; he even helped with some of my Herbology homework."

By now, Neville's face was as deep a crimson as his robes, and Harry had the strange urge to just kick the boy and tell him to get over it. There was no point at it, though, because everyone was heading up the dorms, desperately searching for some sleep.

Harry dragged behind, tired and his mind swirling with thoughts. He wanted to think, he wanted to get it all sorted out, but when he reached the dorm room he realized how truly inviting his bed was, and collapsed onto it, still in his Quidditch attire.

......

"Harry, if you're too tired or something, we could stop…"

"Shut it, Weasley."

After breakfast on Sunday the first D.A. meeting of the year had been started, after much time planning and procrastination on Professor Weasley's part. Harry was of course partnered with Ron, and for some reason he was having difficulty performing a wandless _Expelliarmus_.

Percy had decided that the D.A. was suitable for third years and up. Harry realized that Dennis Creevey was a third year _this _year, so he'd have to ask _how_ the boy made it to the D.A. meeting in Hogsmeade _last year_.

The first class was a touch up and everyone was doing _Expelliarmus_ on their partner, though the N.E.W.T level students had to try and do it without their wands. One partner attempted it at a time, seeing as they needed something to summon.

"Come on then, Harry! Even _I _got it away!" Neville teased from nearby, waving a wand. His partner was Ginny Weasley, who seemed incredibly miffed that Neville was able to snatch her wand without using one of his own. She was the odd girl out in her year and Neville was the odd boy, so they paired up, Ginny using her wand and Neville wandless.

Harry sent a forced grin towards his roommate and then shot his hand out towards Ron as if he had his wand gripped in his fingers, "_Expelliarmus_!" he shouted, and Ron's wand came soaring to him.

"Good show!" Ron laughed, though he shook his hand as if burned, "That hurt though, damn!"

"Sorry," Harry muttered, tossing him back the wand. "I don't like that I didn't do it so fast."

"We had a long night," Ron responded, shrugging casually. "No one works well on lack of sleep."

Harry was ready to retort with examples of the many times he, Ron, and Hermione had snuck out late at night, but Percy Weasley called attention to all the students with a loud clearing of his throat.

"Okay, third and fourth years! I want you practicing _Riddikulus_—I'll be over to release the Boggart in a minute. Fifth years, I want you dueling, _nicely_ Miss. Lovegood. Sixth through seventh years, I want to see all of your Patronuses before you leave. After I see the form, you are dismissed," Percy commanded, looking pleased that the students were actually following his instructions.

Ron groaned quietly, making Harry look up in question.

"I never made a corporeal Patronus--I couldn't get it, last year," Ron explained, looking worried. "I don't want to make an idiot of myself in front of _Percy_."

"It's not your fault, if you can't," Hermione noted, standing in line next to Harry. "We were never _officially_ taught it."

"_You _got it," Ron retorted, still slightly put out.

"Yes, well, I'm Hermione," she answered lightly, sending a smile and wink towards both boys. Harry laughed out loud and Ron flushed, shaking his head with a grin playing on his lips.

"Since you find this so funny, Mister. Potter, why don't _you _go first?" Percy's voice broke through the noise and Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Percy _knew _he could perform the Patronus, he'd been there at the hearing last summer, when Harry had to explain himself about the Dementor attack!

"Yes, Professor," he said stiffly, walking to the front of the group, "_Expecto Patronum_!"

Swiftly, a silver jet-of-light streamed out of his wand, slowing forming to the shape of a stag. With no Dementors present, the Patronus trotted around the hall, startling Ginny Weasley as it nudged her shoulder (she sent a curse straight up, making the clouds that had formed on the ceiling break into rain). The sixth and seventh years laughed, and Ginny sent Harry a faux-glare, laughing a few seconds after wards.

Percy looked mildly impressed, and started on the opposite end of the line from Harry, starting with Parvati. Her Patronus ended up being a peacock, which flew around and landed on top of Dean Thomas' head, making him laugh nervously as the large beak came precariously close to his face.

Harry knew that he could've left after performing his Patronus, but he was rather intrigued to see his friends' forms, even though he remembered most of them from last year's DA meeting. Neville's took on the form of a rather large toad, making the Gryffindors laugh. Seamus' was interesting, not because of the shape (a big sheepdog), but because it jumped on him and he shrieked in a rather shrill voice.

Finally, Hermione performed hers and out shot an otter that scurried around and jumped onto Ron's foot, untying his shoelaces. Harry knew that Ron was barely controlling the urge to kick the Patronus off, but he managed, making both Harry and Hermione proud.

"Mister Weasley?" Percy said, sounding stiff. The brothers had made their dislike for each other barely noticeable, only if you really paid attention could you see that Ron was extremely irked by every word his brother said. It came back when the essays he had written where scribbled all over in red ink, pointing out frivolous mistakes.

With a crack of his knuckles, Ron stepped forward, looking poised. With a swish of his wand, he exclaimed, "_Expecto Patronum_!_" _The silver light shot out and with a grin, Harry watched as it began to take shape. Ron seemed particularly excited and they stared eagerly at the form.

"Oh _my_," Hermione whispered, tugging on Harry's sleeve. He watched with very confused and interested eyes as the Patronus took the form of a gigantic dog that looked eerily familiar.

The dog turned around and trotted towards Harry and Hermione, sitting down and wagging its tail happily. While the rest of the group applauded, the trio stared at the dog with unbelieving eyes and white faces. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the dog disappeared with a 'poof'.

Harry, though still in major shock, forced himself to look up at Ron. His friend's expression was an odd mix of confusion and pride.

"I…was that…?" Ron tried asking as the three began to walk out of the Great Hall. Harry slowly nodded, and Hermione released a shuddering breath.

"I think it was," she said, not daring to look Harry in the eye. "I think…do _you_ think it was…?" The question was directed towards Harry as he opened the door and held it for some other retreating students.

"Why would Ron see _him_ as a protector?" Harry asked as they started towards the dorms. The Patronus _really_ couldn't have been Snuffles, could it?

"He saved us from Lupin's werewolf form," Ron noted, running a nervous hand through his hair.

"But he attacked you and broke your leg," Harry retorted, not sure why he was so adamant about the form _not_ being the Animagus of his godfather.

"A Patronus' job is to protect…" Hermione began, looking over her shoulder to make sure they were out of hearing distance from other students. "Wouldn't Sirius _want_ to protect his godson's best friend?"

Harry looked down at his feet, contemplating Hermione's suggestion. Would such a thing like a Patronus _work_ like that? He supposed it would be rather nice of his godfather to do such a thing, but how it would have happened…

"You think this is some…supernatural thing?" Harry asked softly, looking interested. Ron paled and shrugged while Hermione looked thoughtful.

"I think…" she started, as Ron gave The Fat Lady the password, "that it's a very _nice_ thing, and a very thoughtful thing that you needn't look into." Hermione smiled at Harry, making him relax slightly. "I don't think it's a sign of any sort, I just think that this is…" she saw some students sitting in the common room, "_Snuffles'_ way of saying that he's still here to help."

"I reckon' I like that idea," Ron said, spinning his wand in his fingers. Harry smiled and just shrugged his shoulders, still a little mystified by the revelation of Ron's Patronus.

Maybe the dog _wasn't_ Sirius, but damn, did that make Harry feel good. His godfather was a great person, if he's willing to go against Dementors, the things he hates the most, to defend Harry's best friend. Hermione was right; it _was_ a very nice thing to think about.

"Hey, I've got an idea!" Hermione chimed, seemingly very happy for some reason. "Why don't we visit Hagrid? We haven't done that all year!"

"Why did we come all the way back to the dorms, then?" Ron groaned, though he had started for the Portrait Hole again. Hermione seemed slightly stumped by his question, but then her eyes brightened again as she walked backwards towards the steps to the dorms.

"_Cloaks_! It's nearly the end of November; do you _really_ want to catch a cold?" She laughed and headed up the steps at a very fast pace.

Harry and Ron shared an odd look before heading up the stairs to retrieve their cloaks.

"She's insane," Ron muttered, though he had a smile on his face. Harry agreed, and the two got ready to go see Hagrid.

......

They didn't get to Hagrid's straight away, though. They were just turning the corner past the Great Hall when Theodore Nott stepped into their path, looking extremely innocent.

Ron's fists had immediately clenched, but Hermione had put a placating hand on his forearm. Harry took the initiative in finding out what the Slytherin wanted.

"Well…" Nott began, toeing the ground. "It's going to sound a bit stupid…"

"Doesn't everything from your mouth 'sound a bit stupid'?" Ron snapped, making Hermione hush him with a quick slap on the arm. Nott appeared to ignore the comment, and continued to talk to Harry,

"I just…I wanted to join the D.A."

"_What_?" the trio exclaimed in surprise. Nott actually blushed, but he nodded and wrung his fingers together.

"I want to brush up on my magic; I think it would be of some benefits."

"Benefits for your father's _friends_, right?" Ron snarled, this time taking steps towards the Slytherin. Hermione grabbed his arm and Harry stepped in front of his friend, knowing that the last thing they needed was a fight.

Ron's comment made Nott bristle, but the boy remained calm and took a deep and shaky breath.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said smoothly, raising his eyebrows. Ron's eyes flared, but this time Hermione stepped forward, playing peacemaker.

"Theodore, if you want to join the D.A., you _can_; all students are allowed."

Harry heard a growl escape from the back of Ron's throat, and he silently agreed with his friend. There was no _way_ this guy wanted to join the D.A. for his own benefits, Harry was almost _sure_ he remembered the name 'Nott' from one of his various accounts with Death Eaters.

But Sirius' voice rang through his head, "_…not everyone bad is a Death Eater, Harry_."

Was he supposed to give this prat a chance? He already showed that he was incredibly rude by the way he had been talking to Hermione. Nott had threatened Ron as well; what if he were just spying to see in what areas Ron was weak? There were so many reasons to not _want_ him to join, but there was no reason to _stop_ him from doing so. There was already enough division with the Houses, causing a scene over group membership would just create more tension.

"She's right," Harry admitted, sending a look towards Ron. "Next meeting is next Saturday, after breakfast."

"Oh, I know when meetings are held…" Nott said, and Harry suddenly felt like the Slytherin was pushing his luck. "I just…I don't think I'd be greeted very warmly, considering I'm not exactly in a House that's well represented…"

"So what in bloody hell do you want _us _to do about it?" Ron interrupted, having lost his patience minutes ago. "You don't want us to _escort you_, do you?"

At that, Nott looked thoughtful, and Ron groaned and walked away a few feet. Harry and Hermione shared a glance, and she turned to Nott with a forced smile on her face.

"_Sure_, Theodore," she said, sounding very authoritative. "Just wait outside the doors next time, and Harry and…" Hermione saw that Harry had sent her a 'don't do it' glance. "_I'll_ introduce you to the other members, it'll be all right."

Nott grinned widely, and much to everyone's surprise, wrapped Hermione into a quick, but tight, hug. He let go and was off in the opposite direction before Ron could storm over, and the three watched him turn the corner and disappear.

"Why I oughta…" Ron growled, ready to chase after the Slytherin. Harry and Hermione looped their arm through his, though, and managed to drag him backwards and towards the exit to Hagrid's.

_Things keep on getting stranger and stranger_, Harry thought, as they made their way out into the cold.


	10. Funny Feelings

Chapter 10- Funny Feelings

Hermione had been right about the cloaks—there was an unusually strong breeze that made their walk to Hagrid's hut a little longer than normal. Harry realized that they hadn't seen Hagrid in a long time, seeing as all three decided not to take Care of Magical Creatures this year (Hagrid had understood, knowing that now was a time to focus on their more intense N.E.W.T. classes).

"Do you think Grawp is still in there?" Hermione asked, peering off into the woods of the Forbidden Forest. Harry shrugged and Ron made a weird sound with his mouth; he didn't seem particularly fond of the idea of meeting Grawp.

"Well, if he's not, let's hope he's somewhere safe," Harry concluded, knocking on Hagrid's door. They heard the loud footsteps of their former Professor, and the door finally opened.

"Harry! Hermione, Ron!" Hagrid exclaimed, looking extremely delighted at their appearance. "Come in!

The trio entered and relaxed at the heat that was dissipating from Hagrid's fireplace. It still looked the same as the last time they had been in there, but slightly messier—Hagrid had obviously been busy.

"How have your classes been, Hagrid?" Hermione asked, placing her cloak on the back of one of his rather large chairs. Hagrid shrugged, rolling his neck to crack it. The cracks resonated throughout the hut, making all three cringe.

"S'alrigh', bu' I suppose I'm lucky—go' a lo' less Slytherins this year, no need to beh worryin' 'bout false accusa'ions."

"Yeah, a lack of Slytherins _anywhere_ does make for a good change of pace," Ron added. Hermione sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, her foot tapping rapidly. Ron poked one of Hagrid's biscuits with his finger. "How long have these been out?"

"Jus' an hour or so," Hagrid said nonchalantly as he began to put cups and plates on the table. Ron jerked his hand back and sent Harry a really disgusted look. Harry held in a laugh as best as he could, and nodded in thanks as Hagrid poured him some tea.

"Have you been doing anything for…well, _you know_," Harry asked, remembering that anyone could be listening. Hagrid's eyes widened slightly, but he shook his head.

"Nah, Dumbledore…he said I should take a break for eh few months."

"Well, after all that time…er," Hermione looked for the right words, "with your _family_, I suppose you _do_ need the break."

"Hey! Tha' reminds me; would you like to see Grawp?"

"_No_!" the three exclaimed, a bit too eagerly. Hagrid frowned and they immediately noticed their mistake. Hermione was quick to cover up, "It's just that, we don't want any of those new security trolls catching us!"

"Bu' you'll be with me…" Hagrid countered, looking slightly suspicious.

"Yeah, but really, do you want those trolls snooping around?" Ron asked, picking up a biscuit casually. "Because, you _know_ they'd want to see what you were doing."

"Righ' you are, Ron," Hagrid said, seemingly dismissing the matter. "Oh! I saw yer brother Charlie this mornin'!"

Ron's eyes lit up and he dropped the biscuit (it made a loud 'clunk'), "How is he? Does he look like sh--"

"_Don't _say it, Ron," Hermione scolded before he could curse. Ron ignored her though, as Hagrid laughed.

"I jus' saw 'im for a bi', looked really tired—but he managed to insul' Fred…or, er, George."

Ron let out a roar of a laugh, looking immensely relieved. Harry was quite relieved that Charlie was okay, and that his vision had managed to save his life. He had absolutely no idea what he'd do if one of the Weasleys were seriously hurt.

"Your mum wasn't happy, o' course," Hagrid added, making Ron frown. "She demanded tha' he no' be sen' ou' again."

"Charlie's not going to let her do that," Ron said with a grimace. "They'll be fighting about it for who knows how long…"

"But yeh mothah will pu' 'im through hell before he does," Hagrid laughed, slapping his knee. "Now, when _you_ star' askin' to join…"

"Well, she knows that he's training with the D.A., so his skills will be honed," Hermione interjected, though she didn't seem too pleased with the subject. "It's almost like Auror training, but without the advanced difficultly.

"Or Death Eater training," Ron mumbled, making Harry wince. Hagrid looked a bit confused, but Hermione turned on him and glared.

"_Everyone_ is allowed a chance to join, _Ron_," Hermione said through gritted teeth. Harry noticed that her eyes had narrowed almost into slits, and she was glaring at Ron as if he was the vilest thing she had ever seen.

Ron wasn't going to let her get away with the glare, though, and he shot an equally vicious look right back.

"I _know_ that, Hermione. But when it comes to foul creeps like _him_, I think we could make an exception!"

Harry and Hagrid shared a concerned glance, but Harry knew what he had to do.

"Listen, _no one_ likes the idea of Nott coming to meetings, but we _can't_ stop him, we're not _allowed_." He looked between the two, Hermione looking smug and Ron looking livid. "_But_, that doesn't mean we have to be overly nice to him—as long as he doesn't try anything, all we have to do is deal with him in once a week. And you _know _people are going to be paying extra attention to him."

Ron seemed to calm down slightly, but Harry knew this anger was more towards Nott than allowing a Slytherin to join the D.A. He would have to learn how to control his anger, for the sake of not getting hurt.

"Would you look at tha'!" Hagrid exclaimed, peering out his window. "That's snow I'm seein'!"

"_Snow_?" Hermione groaned, standing up and pulling her cloak tight to her body. "I _knew_ it was going to get cold!"

"Yes, Hermione," Ron said, almost like a drone. He stood up as well, and Harry followed.

"I guess we'll be going, Hagrid, don't want to get caught in the snow," Harry said, ignoring the tension between his two friends. "We'll be sure to visit more often."

"Tha' you should!" Hagrid said, grinning widely. "Ge' back to the school—don't wan' to ge' sick for the Hogsmeade weekend!"

The three said their goodbyes and hurried out of his hut, across the field, and through the great oak doors.

......

It seemed that the Professors liked to make Hogsmeade weekends oh-so-much-more enjoyable. They poured on the work all week, making all of the students study extra hard, as if they had to _earn_ the damn visit. The all day trip did feel like a bit of reward, after the work of the week, but Harry would still prefer about half of the amount of notes he had to take.

It was Friday night, and even though they had been to Hogsmeade numerous times before, the Gryffindors still seemed a bit excited about going. It took a long time for the Prefects to get everyone up to bed, and Ron was still with Hermione, trying to get some upset Second Years to calm down and head up to bed.

Harry was changing into his pajamas, and on the other side of the room, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan were talking excitedly about the Hogsmeade visit. Neville didn't pay any attention to the conversation; he was looking oddly nervous and was trying to decide which sweater he should wear tomorrow; about five sweaters were floating near his bed, and he was standing behind each and staring at his reflection in the mirror.

"You're going with Par_vati_?" Seamus Finnegan exclaimed loudly, jumping off of his bed. Neville looked away from his floating sweaters and looked at Harry as Dean preened in front of the mirror next to his bed. He certainly looked very happy about his date for the Hogsmeade visit the next day.

"Yep. And she was _so _happy that I asked her," Dean responded, waggling his eyebrows at his best friend. Seamus hooted, fake-punching Dean in the arm a few times.

"I know you've had your eye on her for a while," the Irish boy said, looking extremely happy for his friend. Harry and Neville shared an annoyed look; had Dean been interested in Parvati while he was with Ginny? "Glad you finally got the nerve."

"The nerve for what?"

Seamus squeaked and jumped slightly, startled at the entrance of Ron, who was coming into the dorm. Harry and Neville, both knowing that Ron was still very annoyed at Dean for breaking up with Ginny so publicly and nastily, made their way towards their beds, standing so Dean couldn't see them. They were able to hear every word, though; this confrontation would be too interesting to ignore.

"Er…" Dean began, sounding a lot less smug. Ron raised a single eyebrow, looking very much like a Prefect should. Harry watched through his curtains as Dean straightened his shoulders as if he was ready to take a blow, "I'm going with Parvati to Hogsmeade, is all—Seamus was impressed that I asked her out."

Seamus didn't manage to become as composed as Dean and he looked like a fish out of water, his hands moving in odd gesticulations.

"She's…she's just so bloody _hard_ to get close to, you know?" the sandy-haired boy commented, grinning meekly.

Ron, still looking as if he didn't believe a word his two roommates had said, shrugged slightly and made his way toward his bed.

"You'd have a better time with my sister, but you kind of messed that up, didn't you?"

Harry and Neville, who were both in the process of climbing into bed, froze in place. This _wasn't_ going to be pretty.

"Your sister and I had a disa_gree_ment," Dean said through clenched teeth, his euphoria completely diminished. Ron clicked his tongue, changing into his pajamas.

"No, _you_ didn't agree with the Quidditch team's decision, and you took it out on _her_," Ron explained, looking at Dean as if he were quite stupid. The Prefect smirked triumphantly as the other boy fumed, clenching his fists.

"That's not _all _of it!" Dean said with his jaw shut tight. Seamus turned purple and backed away into the bathroom. Ron faced him, glaring daggers.

"If that was the 'final straw', Dean, I suggest you go to some anger management classes," Ron said smoothly, crossing his arms. Harry and Neville held in laughs; _Ron_, talking about anger management?

"You just think she's perfect because she's your sister!" Dean shouted back. He was clearly not afraid of Ron's glares. Dean was almost as tall as Ron, and his shoulders much broader. Harry wondered briefly why he didn't seem to have grown as much as his roommates.

"Oh, I know she's a brat," Ron said dismissively, "but she couldn't have done anything to deserve being humiliated!"

"You know what? _Forget it_!" Dean yelled, finally exasperated with the argument. "You lot are all alike, there's no point trying to tell _my _side of the bloody story!"

"There's no point because everyone knows you're _wrong_," Ron said simply, and with that, he climbed into his bed and slammed the curtains shut, almost pulling them off their rungs.

Harry cringed and closed his curtains as well, listening to Dean huff and Seamus apologize. The candlelight went out soon after, and it wasn't long before there were soft snores resonating throughout the room.

He didn't feel like sleeping, though, and for some reason Harry's mind was occupied with the argument Ron and Dean had gotten into. He wasn't sure, but there was something about it that had bothered him immensely.

Harry knew he didn't like that Dean was pining over Parvati while with Ginny, that was just uncalled for. What was wrong with Ginny? _Not much_…

She was smarter than Parvati, Harry was sure; after all, she _had _been named Prefect. Ginny knew how to behave around boys—hell, she grew up with six of them; she's dealt with the best of them. She wasn't overwhelmingly girly, she would never make him sit and read poetry 'just to do it.'

Ginny played _Quidditch_! What bloke wouldn't want a girl who could fly with the best of them? She straightened you out when you were out of line, but she always made sure that your feelings weren't hurt. Adding the fact that she was really funny and always knew how to cheer you up, Ginny Weasley was quite a catch.

Hell, she was pretty too. She wasn't a Veela, no, but she had a very nice smile, and her eyes weren't just brown, they had flicks of green and yellow in them too. Her red hair was so different than those of the other girls in the school, and she had always had such nice styles to put her long locks in…

Harry sat up, eyeing his surroundings carefully.

"_Long locks_?" he thought, scratching his head. Where had _that_ come from? Actually, where had _all _those thoughts come from? Ginny was his friend, she was Ron's _little sister_! How could Harry have thought up such an expanse list of good qualities for her like that? Only a bloke who thinks about a girl _not like a friend_ can do that.

His eyes widened, and suddenly an image of Ginny in her blue bathing suit flashed in front of his face. Harry clamped a hand to his forehead, feeling as if he were going to be sick. He fell back to his pillow, shaking his head slowly.

"Oh hell," he muttered. Did he _like _Ginny Weasley?

Harry wasn't exactly sure. Well, she had never made his stomach flip like Cho once had, but then again, she _did_ make him blush and stutter a lot, for some unknown reasons. Harry had barely noticed his reactions to her; they had just felt so _natural_. He remembered his violent thoughts toward Neville, after he had found the boy staying up with Ginny that night after the Quidditch game. Had that been…_jealousy_?

His mind swirled, and then it all started to fall into place. He had felt uncomfortable at the wedding because of Dean _and_ because of his subconscious feelings towards Ginny. She had walked down the aisle and even _danced_ with him…how could Harry not have realized that the warmth in his stomach was because he was with _her_?

When she had cried on his shoulder after Dean had broken her heart…Harry had just wrapped his arms around her and held her close, wishing that she never again feel such pain. You _don't_ wish something like that for just a friend. You wish that for a _good _friend, someone you know is going to be by your side for a very long time…

"Oh _hell_," Harry whispered again, rolling to his side. This was _not_ good. It wasn't good _at all_. First, she was _Ron's_ sister. His _only _sister. The only Weasley girl in _generations_. How was he going to deal with _that_?

_Just like you dealt with that dragon, and that troll, and that guy named Voldemort…_

Harry scoffed. _Second_, he didn't know if her feelings were reciprocated. Ginny had been staring at Dean and Parvati with a very sad look on her face. Was that because she still cared for Dean? Did she need time, space?

_You could take her to Hogsmeade…_the little voice piped, again. Harry looked thoughtful, and contemplated the idea. He could definitely make it seem platonic, seeing as Ron and Hermione, as sixth year Prefects, had so much more to take care of. Harry could simply ask to hang out with her, for the sake of not being lonely.

Yes…that's what he'll do. Harry smiled into his pillow, wrapping his arms around it. He knew he felt something for Ginny, if he liked her or not…well, he'd figure that out tomorrow.

......

The next morning, like all first Hogsmeade weekends, the common room was quite hectic. Third years were bouncing off the walls, second years were crying, the first years were looking on in interest because of all the stories they'd heard, and the other students…they were just mingling and chatting, voices that usually aren't heard that early on a Saturday morning.

Harry had put slightly more effort into his attire, finding the green jumper Mrs. Weasley had sewn for him last Christmas. It still fit, and he supposed he should believe the woman when she said it brought out his eyes. Not that Harry was exactly sure what that meant…

He made his way into the common room, immediately spotting Ron, who was looking flustered with a cluster of first years around him. They were tiny and speaking in very high-pitched voices; it was obvious that Ron wanted to hit one of them.

Ron, though, was _not _the Weasley that Harry was looking for. It wasn't hard to find Ginny; he'd always be able to spot that red hair she and all of her family had. It was _getting_ to her that was the problem. Harry poked and prodded some random Gryffindors to make his way across the room and towards Ginny, who was watching with quiet mirth as Ron tended to a bawling second year.

"Hey," Harry said, not knowing anything more eloquent to start up the conversation. Ginny looked up, smiling brightly at him. He felt his face flush and inwardly groaned. _Why_ did he have to have those thoughts last night?

"It's quite a sight, Ron with children," Ginny giggled, looking away as Ron sent a rather vicious glare her way. She pulled her feet up into the chair she was sitting in and seemed intent on watching the entire scene ensue.

"Yeah, I reckon' he'll have to ask your mum for advice a lot," Harry added, not really comfortable with talking about children. He then remembered he had come over for a reason, though really, even if he wasn't going to ask her to escort him, Ginny was quite fun to have a conversation with. "Er, can I ask you something?"

He felt his ears burn red as she turned and looked at him questioningly; he was glad that his hair fell long enough and covered them from her view.

"What?"

"Er…well," he began, realizing that this wasn't very easy. He didn't want to seem obvious, but then, he didn't want her just walking off in the middle of it to join other people because she thought the 'date' was so relaxed. "I realized just last night, rather stupidly actually, that Ron and Hermione are going to be on patrols most of the time at Hogsmeade…so…I was wondering if…well, if I could spend the day with you?"

Her brown eyes brightened and was that…? Well, maybe, it could _be_ a blush! That made Harry's heart leap; he had done something right! And doing it hadn't killed him! Damn, Voldemort would be a piece of cake, compared to this! She didn't laugh, she didn't seem disgusted, this was _good_--this was such a good sign!

"Of course, Harry! I'm sure Neville wouldn't mind if you tagged along."

It felt like he had fallen off of his Firebolt and was now falling very fast and from very high up. His face contorted into something that must've looked like confusion, because Ginny put out a hand, resting it on his. "Oh, Neville asked me to go to Hogsmeade with him, last week. You know, after the Quidditch match and the Charlie thing?"

"O-oh," he stuttered, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Y-yeah, I guess that's fine. Sure, why not? It'll be…fun."

Ginny grinned and nodded, looking away and beckoning Neville over. He complied, and Neville seemed very happy that Harry was joining them for the day, maybe _too _happy about it, in Harry's opinion. Harry realized the reason behind Neville's search for a sweater the night before, and he wondered how he couldn't have figured out that the boy had something _planned_ for the next day.

Neville asked Ginny to Hogsmeade. And apparently, he wanted to look _really_ nice. So, unless Harry was mistaken…Neville fancied Ginny.

He groaned inwardly. That would be _horrible_ to go after a girl that one of your best mates fancies. It would've been like Ron asking Cho on a date last year, not that Ron would _ever_ do that, for reasons besides loyalty…

He'd just have to forget about it, then. Forget about ever fancying Ginny, or ever thinking about her in a way that was not very friendly. Should be easy enough, since the two had never had a relationship that surpassed that of friends.

But his heart ached, and it ached _a lot_. Even if things with him and Ginny didn't work out in the end, it would've been nice to _try_ and see if they would work. He'd never get to find out if his feelings for her were true, and that, Harry believed, was the worst part of Neville fancying her.

Harry _knew_ there had been a reason why he wanted to kick Neville that night.


	11. Askew Attacks

A/N: Happy Holidays! :-)

Chapter 11- Askew Attacks

* * *

The snowfall from last week remained on the Hogsmeade streets, pushed to the edge of the curbs creating ideal hills for the students to play on (not just third years; Seamus was seen diving into one). Fifth year prefects had the simple duty of explaining departure times to the younger students, while the sixth and seventh years were on a patrolling rotation throughout the more popular stores and restaurants in the town.

"If I knew I would pretty much have to give up my Hogsmeade weekend…" Ron had grumbled as he and Hermione made their way to Madame Puddifoot's.

"You would've taken the badge anyway," she finished, sending him a 'look' and then dragging him into the café. Ron pulled some faces at her and yelped when she pinched him rather sharply.

While Ginny and Colin Creevey explained to the third and some fourth years about the carriages, Harry stood idly by with Neville, looking extremely bored and out of place.

He wasn't in the best of moods, but he realized that he couldn't _really _be mad at Neville for asking Ginny out. It wasn't as if Harry had made it obvious that he might have feelings for the girl; if Neville had even _thought_ that Harry did, there was no way he would have tried to win her over.

So he had tried to start a conversation with Neville, but it ended up being very strained and forced. Neville just seemed too uptight about something, and Harry had a feeling it was the vibrant redhead that was getting incredibly annoyed with an overly excited third year.

"Now just GO!" Ginny roared at the group, sending the young kids scattering through the streets. Colin sent her a wary look and slowly slunk away to join his brother. Ginny stomped towards the two boys, her face red, and took a shuddering breath. Closing her eyes she put her hands to her temple. "I hate kids."

"That's a strange thing to hear from a Weasley," Harry joked. Ginny sent a menacing glare.

"I'm not having children," she said sternly, but a small smile was creeping onto her face. Harry snorted and Neville jittered, tilting his head towards The Three Broomsticks.

"Don't you think we should go in there?" he asked, but it was almost as if he already knew Ginny's answer. She rolled her eyes and nodded, pushing the two boys towards the pub.

It was crowded, and Harry immediately wanted to get out. There was no need to be in such a bustling pub when there were so many other things to do in the town. He had learned that he might as well go explore the town while he still could—he'd probably be under constant surveillance any other time if he weren't with the school.

"Do we have to?" Harry said, almost in a whiny voice. Ginny turned to him and nodded, but it seemed like she knew much more than she was letting on. Neville opened the door and made his way through the crowd without looking back at his two companions. Harry found this rather rude, seeing as he had invited Ginny and was now just abandoning her.

The two managed to catch up to Neville, and when they did, Harry wanted to groan. Luna Lovegood was sitting opposite of Neville in the booth, and waved hello to Harry and Ginny.

It wasn't that Harry didn't like Luna, no; he liked her very much actually. She was rather eccentric, yes, but, like Ginny, she was always very blunt with him, and that was something Harry was learning to cherish. He needed to be smacked in the face with the hand of reality once in awhile.

But today…well, Luna just looked very…_out there_. It wasn't her robes either; she was wearing the regular Ravenclaw robes. She just seemed to be in one of her starry-eyed, completely out-of-it moods and Harry just didn't want to deal with it. Her face was rosy and her eyes were wide behind a pair of orange triangular shaped glasses that Harry had seen her walking the halls in. A very goofy smiled played on her lips, and Harry knew he was in for a rather interesting conversation.

"Hell_o,_ everyone!" Luna said loudly, performing a very large rainbow wave. Neville nodded a hello and Ginny mimicked Luna's actions. She laughed, and Harry reluctantly took a seat next to Neville.

"How are you, Luna? I'm sorry we haven't been able to see each other lately," Ginny said, looking honestly upset about the lack of time with the Ravenclaw.

"Oh, it's all right," Luna said dreamily, placing her chin in both of her hands. "I've been very busy anyhow."

Neville's elbow slipped off the table and his chin slammed to the wood. Everyone jumped, but no one higher than Neville, who's hands had flown to his face to hide the scream that was about to erupt from his mouth.

"Ooh, _Neville_!" Ginny squeaked, looking very worried about the condition of her friend. Harry winced greatly as Neville slowly brought his hands down from his face, showing off a rather bruised chin and very red cheeks.

"Silly me," he muttered, forcing a smile. It was a weak smile, but it was a smile nonetheless.

"You poor thing, if you put a sliver of liver on it, there'll be no trace of that disgrace," Luna prescribed in rhyme. The other three at the table stared at her oddly, and she blushed, something that looked incredibly odd on her face.

After about fifteen minutes, the waitress finally made her way over to the table and took their orders. There were no meals, so it only took twenty more minutes to bring the drinks.

The conversation was very strained, and it seemed like every word that came out of Luna's mouth was code for Neville to hurt himself. By the time they were putting on their coats to leave, the poor boy and managed to poke both of his eyes, bang the back of his head under the table, and bite his tongue, lip, and cheek.

"I'm never coming in here at noon on a Saturday during the first Hogsmeade weekend _ever_ again," Harry grumbled as the four pushed the doors open and went out onto the pavement. Ginny nodded and smiled in agreement, and Neville grunted something that Harry couldn't comprehend.

They four managed to get to a few stores before they couldn't handle the crowds anymore. Harry wondered if the gifts he had picked out for his friends for Christmas would be something they liked, he never thought his presents were ever any good.

Luna skipped merrily into the street, twirling in the soft snowfall that had started.

"You know, the second snow of the season is _always_ the best, because it's not a surprise, and you have more time to enjoy it."

Usually, Luna's little bits of information and advice were absurd and just weird, but as Harry watched the townspeople and the students walk and laugh through the streets, with the small flakes swirling around them and the white carpet crunching under their feet…

"Yeah, I'm going to have to agree with you, Luna," he said, sending a grin her way. The Ravenclaw smiled brightly and spun once more, this time grabbing Neville's sleeve and pulling him along for the ride.

Ginny laughed and quickly fell to her knees, rolling up a snowball for something Harry didn't exactly want to be involved in. The girl finished the ball and took aim towards Neville and Luna, her eyes narrowed and looking as if she were waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Harry watched as she stood, arm cocked back into position and vibrant red hair loose and straight around her face. Ginny was pale, but the blush from the cold mad her freckles stand out on her round cheeks and he was suddenly confused as to why he hadn't noticed how long her hair really was …

He stumbled back as the snowball Ginny had been holding smashed him in the collarbone, followed by the shrill giggle of Ginny Weasley herself. Harry stood dumbstruck for a few seconds, wondering how he couldn't have seen it coming. But, he got over that quickly and noticed Ginny was running away. Only thing to do was chase after her.

It felt great to not worry about keeping up an image or to remain calm and alert. Harry, as quickly as he could, was dodging people on the sidewalk to try and catch up with Ginny, who was at least two store lengths ahead of him. He had completely forgotten about Neville and Luna, all he was concerned about was getting the lump of snow he had just swiped up into his hand into Ginny's hair. The snow fell perfectly on the back of her head, but that didn't slow her down.

The sidewalk ended and then there was a small hill he had to get over. Ginny had already disappeared over the top so he pushed his legs harder to catch up.

He knew he had reached the end of town because the land just turned completely white because of the field that separated Hogsmeade and the front gates of Hogwarts. Though slightly out of breath, Harry was still determined to pummel Ginny with the best snowball he could make.

But he didn't get the chance, because when he spotted Ginny, she standing eerily still with her shoulders scrunched up tight.

"Ginny? Ginny, what's wrong? I'm sorry; did I hit you too hard?" Harry felt horrible; how could he have thought throwing a snowball at a _girl_ would be all right? He probably hit her so hard that it stung all over, what a jerk!

"No," she said softly as he made his way over to her. Ginny turned her head slightly, her red hair creating a curtain around her face. "It's not you Harry."

"Well…" he started, pushing away some snow with his toes. "What is it?"

"It's so empty here, when I looked around and didn't see you behind me…" she blushed slightly, but Harry didn't think it was from embarrassment, "I just felt so alone."

"It _is_ a large empty field covered with snow," he chided, to lighten the mood. She did smile, but Harry could tell that there was something deeper behind her eyes.

"Do you think this is how Charlie felt?" she asked softly, averting her eyes. "I mean, it had to have been scary facing down You-Know-Who, don't you think? Oh…what am I saying? I mean, of _course_ you know."

Harry laughed softly because he couldn't think of anything to respond with. It was true that he knew the terror and fear Voldemort brought upon people, but that didn't mean he was still able to deal with it and act as if it were tea time in the commons.

"Ron actually said his name, the other night. The night of Charlie's attack." Harry wasn't sure why he was telling Ginny this; he wondered if Ron would be annoyed at him if he found out.

She turned to him looking very interested and very impressed.

"Wow, _Ron_ said it? You _are_ talking about my Ron, right? My numbskull brother?"

Harry laughed at her description of Ron, but he nodded and Ginny eye's widened with disbelief.

"That's…that's wow." She looked thoughtful, pushing her hands into the pockets of her jacket. "He's always had such a fear of You-Know-Who."

"Dumbledore made him say it, really. I think it was more of a pride thing, than getting over a fear," Harry explained, wondering if Ron would say Voldemort's name again if Dumbledore wasn't in the room.

"But, Dumbledore didn't _make _him say it, I'm sure. It was a choice, and you know how stubborn Ron is."

_Oh, I know how stubborn _Weasleys_ are, _Harry wanted to say, but he thought he'd be safer if he didn't.

"I wonder if Percy knows about Charlie," she said suddenly, pushing some hair behind her ear. Harry frowned, knowing that Percy was still a touchy subject with all of the Weasleys. "I mean, if Dumbledore gave him a job, there must be _something_ good about him."

"Yeah, he's wonderful at bossing people around," Harry groaned, thinking about the three twelve page long essays he had to write this week for Defense. Ginny nodded in agreement, but she was smiling.

"Percy's always been in charge of everything," she mused. "He used to play teacher with Ron and me, but then the twins would come in and knock over his chalkboard and then cry and then make _us _cry." Ginny frowned, crossing her arms. "They were so mean to him sometimes."

"He's not exactly the nicest person…" Harry really didn't have it in him to lie about Percy—that man caused the people he cared about too much pain to feel sympathetic.

"But that's how he _is_." She turned to him, looking desperate with her arms wide. "He's so strict and he makes sure everything's in order…that's how he _lives_, you can't change the nature of someone; its just how they are."

"Your other brothers didn't turn out like that," Harry countered, feeling incredibly uncomfortable. What brought on these new feelings for Percy? A few months ago Ginny couldn't stand him…

…no, that wasn't true. She had begged Ron to just listen to Percy, to give him a chance. Had she always felt like this?

"All of my brothers are drastically different," Ginny started, throwing her hands up. "Bill's using his humongous brain to crack curses and charms that have been intact for thousands of years! Charlie's always been the rebellious one, and what's more rebellious than taming dragons? The twins…" she just gave Harry a look and rolled her eyes. "Then Ron…Ron's just a mix of them all, he's his own person, yet he's been influenced by all of them. Even Percy."

"Don't let him hear you say that," Harry said softly. He was starting to realize that maybe Percy wasn't so cut and dry as he thought, maybe he had emotional reasons behind his recent actions.

Ginny nodded, her eyes looking very sad. "I just want my family back together, like the way we were," she whispered, wrinkling her nose. "It seems like everyone I care about is just _changing _and sometimes it's like I don't even know them anymore."

Harry was about to respond that the twins definitely hadn't changed, but Ginny caught him off guard when she released a loud growl.

"Like _Dean_! Ooh, he makes me _so_ mad!" She stomped towards a tree stump and plopped down. "He'd been acting _so _funny since the beginning of the term." Ginny broke off, angrily combing a hand through her hair.

"Maybe he just wasn't ready for a relationship." Harry tried.

"Yeah, so I guess snogging Parvati behind the Quidditch Pitch doesn't count as a relationship."

He winced as he remembered that Dean and Parvati had _something_ going on. Ginny let out a long sigh and kicked out her feet. Harry trudged through the snow to her and she shimmied over a bit, giving him some room to sit on the stump.

"I really liked him, you know," she said, frowning. "I liked him so much more than Michael; Dean actually had a personality."

Harry tried not to grow red at the thought of Ginny dating other boys, but he realized that it only bothered him a little bit; he wasn't feeling a jealous rage like some _other_ people did.

"I like to think that there's someone out there for everyone," Harry said suddenly, not exactly sure where it came from. "I mean, I just found out that my mum and dad hated each other for almost their whole time at Hogwarts…but…" He sniffled, pulling his jacket tighter around his body. "They did fall in love, and they had me and…"

"And if they hadn't, you wouldn't be the wizard world's savior," she finished.

Harry's head shot towards her, making Ginny pull back in surprise. How did she…did she _know_ about the prophecy? Had Ron or Hermione…no, they wouldn't have. How could Ginny have known about the biggest secret of his life?

"What do you mean?" he asked slowly, watching her face for any indication that she might be hiding something. Ginny shrugged, looking casual.

"Well, it's sort of obvious from all your encounters that _you're _going to defeat You-Know-Who." She stared off across the empty field, leaning back on the stump. "Like, it's written in the stars."

Harry gulped, realizing that Ginny had just figured out a prophecy that he had absolutely no idea existed for fifteen years of his life. He decided she should know how right she was.

"Actually…it _is _written in the stars…"

And then he told her all about the prophecy and about everything else he knew. Ginny didn't stare in shock or burst into tears. She immediately started to ask him questions about every possible aspect of the prophecy, Voldemort, and everything in between.

And she listened to everything he had to say, and he said a lot more to her than he had to Ron and Hermione. Harry slighted delved into his feelings on the subject, but what he told her was only the tip of the iceberg.

It was a quarter to five before the two realized that they had been talking for almost three hours. It wasn't completely dark, but the sun was starting to go down, and Harry knew that Ginny needed to be back before five-thirty for her Prefect duties.

They were making their way toward the town when Ginny shivered violently and fell to her knees, causing Harry to immediately go down beside her.

"Ginny? Ginny—are you okay? What's…?"

Then he felt it. The immensely saddening chill of a Dementor raced through his veins and was now pulsating throughout his body. Ginny must have felt it first.

"Where is it…" he hissed, looking around the field with his eyes narrowed. Ginny's breath hitched and she pointed towards a patch of trees to their right, where the sun was setting. She was clinging to the front of Harry's jacket with her eyes shut tight, gritting her teeth.

"N-no, I don't _want_ to…" she murmured, shaking. Harry swung an arm around her, standing her up but keeping his eyes on the patch of forest.

"Ginny, you have to stay strong, come on," Harry urged, helping her move away and towards Hogsmeade. "I _know _you can do it. Come on, show me your Patronus, you saw mine, now I get to see yours…"

It was then that he saw it; the Dementor was looming on the edge of the trees, and from the many shadows casting out from behind the trees, Harry had a feeling that it wasn't alone.

Without thinking, he stuck his wand straight up and shot out a stream of sparks with a spell Hermione had taught him over the summer, just in case.

"Come on, I have to push them back, can you stand?" he asked her softly, noticing how pale she had suddenly gotten. Ginny nodded, though, and Harry helped her balance before he took a few large steps towards the forest. He was able to see the outline of at least four Dementors, and with a deep breath, he roared out the spell, "_EXPECTO PATRONUM_!"

In a large burst of silver light, Prongs sprung from the tip of his wand, charging with his antlers pointing straight ahead at the Dementors. They immediately began to back away as Prongs bucked and kicked at them, weaving through the trees.

Harry watched nervously, hoping that the Dementors would take the hint and disperse to wherever they had come from, but to his dismay, Prongs disappeared and they continued towards him.

As he began to panic, he heard the rapid crunch of footsteps rushing up the side of the hill. Popping up from the horizon of the hill were McGonagall, Snape, and Percy, along with many of the prefects, including Ron and Hermione.

"_Potter_!" McGonagall yelled. "What on earth is going on?" But Harry didn't have to answer, she froze and shivered, her head snapping toward the trees. "Dementors!"

There was a collective gasp and immediately, Patronuses began to shoot out from almost all of the wands. Harry sent out Prongs again, and was amazed when he saw Ron's Patronus bound beside his. The sight warmed Harry immensely, and he knew that the Dementors were not going to last for long.

* * *

It took about twenty minutes to send the Dementors off into the distance, far away enough for all the students to get back into the school without having to worry. Ginny's condition had gotten slightly better, but once she was back in Hogwarts, Madame Pomfrey swept her away.

Harry was, surprisingly, not in trouble for anything. He was so used to being the one to blame for something like the attack that he asked McGonagall how many points were to be taken. She simply stared at him and awarded him ten points for protecting a fellow classmate.

He was in the common room now with Ron and Hermione, wasting time outlining the next couple of chapters in their Transfiguration texts. Ron was bouncy and rightfully so; his sister was hurt and he wasn't allowed in the Hospital Wing.

"They weren't _that _close," he whined, his eyes darting towards the portrait hole every few minutes. "I mean, some hot chocolate should've fixed her right up!"

"It depends on what she saw, Ron," Hermione said softly, dipping her quill in her ink bottle. "Even if it were for a few seconds, the memories could still be very painful."

Ron quieted as he realized what was probably swirling through Ginny's mind during the attack of the Dementors. Harry had pushed the thought from his mind, but he also knew that it was likely Ginny had been seeing the events of her first year involving Tom Riddle and the Chamber of Secrets.

That place had given _Harry_ nightmares, and he wasn't the one who had been possessed and taken down there to die. He felt guilty that he had never thought of how Ginny had been able to move on with her life after such traumatic events, he had never paid close enough attention to her.

After a few minutes, Hermione began to look over their outlines and was actually semi-pleased with them. Harry was taking her advice seriously now that he was in harder classes and actually had a goal in mind. He wanted to be an Auror, and if was going to do it, he was going to be the best damn Auror there was.

Ron was practicing turning a rock into a mouse when the portrait hole creaked open and Ginny Weasley stepped into the common room, looking pale and tired.

"Ginny!" Ron exclaimed, pushing away his chair and rushing towards his sister. "You feeling okay? I've got some chocolate hidden up in my dorm, I'll go get some if you want it—"

"No, I'm fine," she snapped, and with a quick glance in Harry's direction, she brushed Ron away and hurried up the stairs to the girls' dorms.

The trio shared a worried glance, and silently accepting her duties, Hermione put all of her books into her bag and went up the stairs after Ginny. Ron looked frustrated as he slammed himself into one of the couches. Harry followed his suit but he didn't make the couch shake.

"I was just trying to be nice," Ron grumbled, crossing his arms.

"I think she might be embarrassed," Harry said, pulling out his pack of Exploding Snaps.

"About reacting to a Dementor?" Ron asked, looking incredulous. "But, they're _Dementors_!"

Harry shrugged, not exactly sure why he thought Ginny would be embarrassed about her reaction. At least she hadn't fainted like he had the first time he met a Dementor, or any of the other times. Harry remembered how humiliated he had been when Malfoy and the rest of his crew began taunting him about it, though now that he realized the real terror of a Dementor, he thought that he was being a little immature about it.

"You know how Weasleys are," Harry said casually, and earned a swat in the back of the head from Ron before her began dealing the cards.

* * *

"Because of recent events, we're going to deter from our normal schedule and start working on Patronuses." Percy paced in front of the large group of students in the DA, many of which were first time members. Harry assumed it was because of yesterday's Dementor attacks, and he couldn't blame the younger students for wanting to be prepared.

The only new member that Harry knew wasn't worried about Dementors was Theodore Nott, who was looking overly excited about attending a meeting. He was sitting beside Hermione, literally bouncing, but he was making sure he didn't go overboard with anything because Ron had taken a seat on the _other_ side of him.

Percy looked grim as he examined the group, and with a larger smirk, he pointed at Harry with his wand.

"Mr. Potter? Would you care to assist me?"

Harry stared at his Defense Professor for a good ten seconds before he nodded slowly and stood up to join him. He supposed that it was possible that Percy was finally beginning to realize that Harry was _not_ as bad of an influence on others as he used to believe, but then he remembered how 'to the point' Percy was, and was most likely using him to get more work done in less time.

"Since the sixth and seventh years are already set with performing the Patronuses, I want Mr. Potter to release his Boggart and have them practice on an actual Dementor."

Harry groaned inwardly as the rest of the DA groaned aloud. The younger students looked very frightened at the idea of having an actual Dementor within feet of them, and the older ones seemed more interested that a Dementor was Harry Potter's boggart.

Percy seemed to notice the concern, and he cleared his throat to continue with instructions,

"I will be putting up an invisible wall to keep the affects of the boggart from the students who are not involved with the lesson." Percy straightened up and began counting off students with his wand. He seemed to be doing a lot of math in his head, and his eyes brightened after a few moments. "Oh good, we have an even amount in both groups! Sixth and Seventh years, furthest away from the doors, and the rest of you on the other side. Hurry up; I want to get as much done as possible!"

The students got up and shuffled over to their respective areas, the older students looking much more anxious than the others.

"Really, this is actually quite exciting!" Hermione whispered. Harry should've known that she'd be the lone student that actually wanted to face down a Dementor.

"Yes, Hermione," Ron grumbled, "it's almost better than that time my mother yanked three of my teeth out in one sitting." Harry and Hermione stopped and stared, aghast, at Ron. He blushed and shrugged. "It really wasn't her fault…"

Percy loudly created the wall, as if trying to show off how much magic he knew, and within seconds a stream of blue sparks shot up from the ground in a straight line down the center of the Great Hall, making its way all the way up to the ceiling.

"Fifth year Prefects! You need to maintain order while I set up the Sixth and Seventh years, all right?" Percy ordered, apparently being able to be heard through the wall.

Ginny and Colin weren't the only Prefects attending the meeting, the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff sets were there as well. Ginny looked incredibly determined and nodded sternly at her brother, turning on a heel and arranging the students in various groups and orders.

Percy turned back to the older students, smiling grimly.

"I know that most of you haven't been educated correctly on the affects of a Dementor, but I do know that most of you have a general idea. The boggart Dementor is going to make you see and feel your worst experiences, and no, I do not mean getting a 'P' on my last exam."

That got a few weak laughs from the crowd, and Percy took a deep breath before he turned to Harry. There was something in his eyes that Harry hadn't seen in a long time; it looked like actual concern.

"Mr. Potter, I know your history with Dementors, but yesterday you showed great prowess at maintaining your composure; do you think you will be able to perform your Patronus in a close encounter with your boggart?"

He nodded before thinking, because he knew that there was no way he was going to allow anyone to think that _they_ wouldn't be able to perform it. Harry knew how important defense skills were in their current time, and any way he could help the student body of Hogwarts he would do.

The other students lined up against the wall, each gripping a piece of chocolate that Percy had conjured in a large box. Harry stood in the center of the new area of the Great Hall, and Percy stood beside the large cabinet, his hand on the handle.

"Ready?" he asked. Harry nodded, wand in the fighting position. With a determined nod, Percy pulled the door of the cabinet open.

Harry was happy when he noticed how the affects of the Dementor didn't hit him immediately, like they had in his third year. He was actually quite surprised by it, seeing as how he felt the chill when they were in the forest yesterday in Hogsmeade.

And then he began to grow curious, because the door had been open for more than ten seconds, and the ghastly feelings weren't swarming through his body. Percy noticed as well, and peeked through the crack of the door.

It was then that a body fell out of the cabinet and fell to the floor with a loud _thud_.

* * *

A/N: Sorry to keep you waiting for so long, and then leave you with such a cliff hanger. evil cackle 


	12. Winter Wonders

**A/N: Y'all are so wonderful for yelling at me to continue this story :) Hehe, it helps! Just be nice :-P **

Chapter 12- Winter Wonders

The crowd gasped and there were a few shrieks from some of the girls. Harry stood in shock, his entire body frozen in his dueling position. Percy's eyes were wide with fright, but as Harry involuntarily stepped closer to the body, not knowing why he was attracted to the figure on the floor.

It just didn't seem real, and as Harry took a closer look, he noticed it was a large body with red hair and a maroon jumper.

"_Ron_?" he croaked, and as he hurried towards it, the body made a loud 'cracking' noise, and now it was Hermione lying on the ground.

Harry braked and couldn't figure out what was going on; where was the Dementor? How…what was going on? Ron and Hermione were very alive in the back of the room, so this could only mean that this was Harry's boggart.

"_They can change?_" he thought, as he watched Hermione's fallen form 'crack' into Lupin's. Harry's face fell, and he backed away, shaking his head slowly. He knew that the bodies were just an illusion, but just seeing all of the people he cared about lying dead on the ground was enough for him to know he'd have nightmares about it.

Percy jumped in front of Harry, and the boggart _cracked_ and turned into Cornelius Fudge, pointing a strict finger at the Defense professor.

"_Riddikulus_!" Percy exclaimed, looking disgusted. The Boggart was shot back into the cabinet and the doors shut behind it. The hall was silent, except for Harry's heavy breathing.

He hadn't realized how hard he had been breathing until Hermione rushed up behind him and put her hands on his arm. Harry jumped away at her touch, but then grabbed on to her, realizing that yes, she _was_ here. Ron came up too, still staring at the cabinet with intrigued and wary eyes.

"All right, let's just practice performing the spell, then." Percy looked bristled, but he straightened out his robes and began lining the students up, avoiding eye contact with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked softly, leading Harry away from the rest of the students. He nodded, and for the first time in months he felt a dull throbbing coming from his scar. It wasn't like the vision; it was just the scar reminding him of his connection with Voldemort.

"I'm fine," he lied, and he knew his friends didn't believe him. They watched as Percy took down the wall separating the students, and Ginny Weasley rushed over, looking alarmed.

"Where was it? What happened?" she asked, looking at Harry intensely. He took a breath, but then just shrugged, because really, he had absolutely no idea what had happened.

"My boggart's changed, apparently," he answered, looking just as confused as the rest of them. Ginny looked slightly annoyed while Ron and Hermione seemed to be contemplating the situation.

After everyone else was firing off their Patronuses, Percy came over, taking in a deep breath.

"You three may be excused, if you like. Miss. Weasley, you need to stay." His sister glared at him for a few moments before stomping away and joining her fellow fifth years, and the trio slowly left, in slight confusion.

"I really wish a Dementor had come out of that closet," Harry muttered as their made their way towards the commons.

"That's one of the weirdest things anyone's ever said," Ron commented, glaring at a portrait that was blowing him kisses. "But, I didn't know Boggarts could change."

"It makes sense that they do," Hermione noted, looking slightly annoyed. "I mean, most of us aren't scared of the dark like we were at five years old."

"I lived in a cupboard under the stairs, I _wasn't_ afraid of the dark," Harry said grimly.

"You're special, Harry," Hermione said lightly as she gave the password to The Fat Lady ("Mistletoe").

The common room was empty, considering that most of the Gryffindors were still at the D.A. meeting. The trio took seats in front of the fire, Harry noticing how contemplative his friends looked. It must have been shocking too see your self lying dead on the ground, and even more of a surprise to find out that being dead was your best friend's worst fear.

"You should tell Professor Lupin you saw him," Hermione said suddenly, looking over from her place on the chair. Harry nodded, but he wasn't sure if he'd be able to tell Remus that he saw him lying dead on the floor of the Great Hall. It wasn't the most pleasant of images.

"It's very strange, seeing your self dead," Ron whispered, staring into the fire with narrowed eyes. Harry refused to look at his friend, but again, he simply nodded and fumbled with his fingers. For the first time in a while, he felt very uncomfortable sitting alone with Ron and Hermione.

"Scary thing is," Hermione said, pulling her hair back into a ponytail, "that I think that's my Boggart too." Harry and Ron turned to her, and saw she looked to be on the brink of tears. She forced a laugh, turning to the two of them. "I hate crying in front of you two, but it's _true_, I don't know _what_ I'd do if I lost one of you."

"Hermione…" Harry began, really hoping she didn't start crying. She put a hand up, sending them a shaky smile.

"No," she said, allowing a few tears to fall. "I just really need to know that we're going to be okay."

"No one can know that, Hermione," Ron said softly, getting up and walking around the table to her. He sat on the floor by her feet, looking miserable, "just like I can't protect my family in the Order."

"I know, oh, I know," she said. "It's just hard to think about, is all."

"Well, I guess we won't think about it, then," Harry said, shaking his head. "If we dwell on it, we're not going to get anything done."

"You're right," Ron said softly, looking put out. "Wouldn't it be nice to just have two weeks—_one _week, of just relaxing and joking around?"

"Yeah," Harry and Hermione said together. The three sat together for a long time in silence, until the Gryffindors came back from the D.A. meeting. Once the Portrait swung open, Hermione made a ton of books come over and had them open to look as if they were studying.

Ginny made a move to join them, but her footing faltered and she headed up the stairs to her dorm. Harry watched her disappear up the staircase, realizing that it might have been good that Ginny's body hadn't shown up; Ron might have reacted more if it had. He knew, though, that if Percy hadn't jumped in front of the boggart, it would have changed into Ginny..

That reminded him of the form Percy's boggart had taken, and he brought it up to Ron and Hermione.

"Must've driven him mad, when it was proven that Vol-_Vol_demort had really returned," Ron said, his face red. "Guess he sees Fudge as something that was leading him in the wrong direction, scared of getting it wrong."

"That could mean he changed his mind about your family, and all of those other issues." Hermione had begun highlighting certain things in her textbooks with her wand, something she had figured out how to do over the past few months. It was helping their hands a lot, because they didn't need to copy _everything _down (though Hermione did, because she was Hermione.).

"Yeah, well, he could be nicer to Ginny and me," Ron muttered, pulling out and showing Harry and Hermione the 'D' he had gotten on the essay. "It's really frustrating when you actually _try_ and still get a 'D'."

"Honestly, he's just doing it to be a pain," Hermione snapped, taking the essay and looking it over. "It's all grammatical, and even _that's_ stretching it. He took points off because of your _handwriting_? You're a _boy_, goodness!"

Ron opened his mouth to say something, but then he just sent a confused look towards Harry. Harry shrugged, skimming through some more pages of the books. He knew that Ron knew his Defense, and if his friend's performance during class and D.A. meetings weren't enough to make Percy understand, Harry didn't know what would.

Hermione began to shuffle her books and parchment together, shoving it into her bag with very little grace.

"I'm going to go see if Ginny wants some study guides for the winter holiday, seeing as she has O.W.L.s this year." She stood up, smiling at the boys, and then briskly left up the stairs.

Harry watched Ron's eyes follow her until she disappeared, and his friend caught him staring. He flushed slightly, but there seemed to be something on his mind.

"I'm sorry you had to see my Boggart," Harry muttered, frowning. Ron nodded, fiddling with his wand.

"S'alright."

There was a noticeable silence that fell upon them.

"I'm really worried about Hermione," Ron said quickly, looking around the room to see if anyone was in hearing distance. Harry slid down to the floor and tried to look casual as his eyes questioned Ron. His friend squirmed slightly, scribbling something down on a piece of parchment. "It's Nott, Harry."

"He's just a slimy git, Ron," Harry retorted quickly, shrugging. Ron didn't look convinced, and shook his head, biting his tongue.

"No, I was watching him today, before the meeting started." He shuddered, and managed to snap his quill in half. "The eyes he was giving her…"

"It's obvious he has a crush on her, Ron," Harry said, but he was starting to realize where Ron's concern came in. "We can't stop guys from looking at her."

"But he _wasn't_ just looking at her; he was _examining_ her and getting _ideas_…" Ron's face was now very red, but he was controlling his breathing and trying his best to relax. "Harry, I'm really worried, and…it's not just a jealousy thing, okay?"

Harry watched as Ron's ears burned, but he understood how much his friend cared. It wasn't time to tease or laugh; Ron was very solemn about his concern over Nott, and Harry knew he had to take him seriously.

"Okay. We'll watch him more carefully for now on, shouldn't be too bad."

Ron nodded, and he shut his eyes as if in pain. Harry knew his scars were acting up, and didn't protest when Ron excused himself to head up to the dorms. He sat for a while, alone, until some second years began inching their way towards the table, looking for a place to set up their Exploding Snaps. Harry took off his books and parchment and smiled at the kids who looked a bit wary because they were sitting near him.

He pretended to read his Potions text, but over the edge he was watching the group set up their cards, his heart racing when they came close to making the pile explode. He could distinctively remember how it felt when you thought it was your card that was going to set everything off, the worry and the excitement, but still ready to blow something up.

The pile of cards was now very high, and Harry couldn't help but think about how small they were. Being twelve years old…_that's so young_, he thought. Was he really battling a Basilisk at the age of twelve? Did he ever_ really_ only have his exploding snaps to worry about?

No, he knew that there had always been a burden on his shoulders, even before he knew about Hogwarts. The Dursleys had been his biggest problem before Voldemort, but Harry would absolutely make the same decision about attending Hogwarts if he had known about Voldemort in his first year. Even with all the sadness and fear his life was surrounded in, actually having the chance to live and have friends that cared about him was worth it.

Harry smiled softly, wondering if he should mention how lucky he was to Ron and Hermione; that would probably weird Ron out and make Hermione cry, so he voted against it. Something told him that they knew, but it would be nice of him to do something to make sure they were aware of how much he needed them. Their fight about the prophecy hadn't been one of their shining moments, but it was as if they had completely erased it from their memory and gone back to normal. The prophecy was a touchy subject, even now, and Harry didn't want it to be anymore.

He jumped in surprise as the cards exploded and all the second years began to laugh. Harry laughed along with them, and shut his book, heading up the stairs to the dorm. Ron's curtains were shut and the others were no where to be found. Harry clambered into his bed and closed the curtains around him, conjuring some bluebell flames to provide light. Studying was the only thing he could do right now, and with only a week left before winter holiday, he supposed he should get his work done.

Just a few more days until he can have more free time to spend with his friends, and more time to figure out how he's going to get rid of that burden he liked to call Voldemort once, and for _all_.

* * *

The final week of class before holiday zoomed by, and Harry wondered if the Professors had been just as eager to get out of school as the students were. He knew that McGonagall and Snape would definitely be dedicating more time to the Order, which wouldn't be something Harry himself would be looking forward to. 

Harry knew that he wasn't staying at Hogwarts over the break because of a message he had received from McGonagall that Friday, saying to stay behind in the common rooms instead of heading off with the rest of the students to the carriages. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny got the same message, and now the four of them were sitting patiently on the couches, waiting for their Transfiguration Professor.

"We're probably going to get a portkey," Hermione said, motioning for Crookshanks to jump on her lap. "It's safer, if you think about it."

"I hate Portkeys," Harry and Ginny said at the same time, and everyone laughed, taking off some of the anxiousness. They weren't sure where they were heading, being as they had two possible locations in The Burrow and Grimmauld Place. Harry wished all night that they would head to The Burrow, but for some reason he was sure that they weren't going to the Weasley's home.

He didn't know how he'd react when he walked into Grimmauld Place. Maybe the Order members had cleaned it up and made it more livable, but…Harry had been dealing with Sirius' death by ignoring the fact that it actually happened. His long conversation with Remus that one day by the lake had helped, but he still refused to accept the fact that Sirius was gone forever.

Harry released a deep breath. He'd avoid it as long as humanely possible.

It was twenty minutes after the last person who was catching a carriage left that McGonagall came in, looking flustered and cold. Harry knew it had begun to snow outside, so he felt for the Professor because she must have been watching over all of the students.

"I have a Portkey for you four," she said, brushing some snow off of her shoulders.

"Where are we going?" Ron asked, standing up and pulling his trunk towards the Professor. Harry swore he saw a smile flicker on McGonagall's face for a split second, but he shook it away, his worry about staying at Grimmauld Place overpowering any interest he had.

McGonagall pulled something out of one of her cloaks' many pockets, and to their surprise, it was a coconut.

"Here," she said, giving Ginny the coconut, "it should go off in five minutes." Without a second glance, she turned and left the commons. Everyone circled around Ginny, who was examining the coconut with interest.

"Why would they pick something so odd?" she asked, handing it over to Harry. He shrugged, not liking the prickling the hairs of the coconut were doing to his hand.

"Well, the portkey to the World Cup was an old boot," Hermione reminded, but she still looked very intrigued. They all held on to their luggage and put one hand on the portkey, waiting for it to activate.

Harry silently hoped they ended up in the living room of The Burrow, and when he felt the tugging at his navel, the thoughts intensified. He noticed immediately that the trip was taking much longer than any other portkey trip he's taken, and that was a bit unnerving. Was Grimmauld Place further from Hogwarts than The Burrow? His mind was swirling because of the motion and he couldn't figure out the distances.

They stopped suddenly, and Harry slowly opened his eyes, just to get blinded by intense sunlight. A swishing noise overpowered any other sound, but he really didn't feel like burning his eyes.

"What in bloody hell?" Ron's voice rang out. Harry shielded his eyes from the light and managed to see…well, _nothing_.

"We're on a beach!" Ginny shrieked excitedly. Harry saw her rush towards the swishing noise, which turned out to be water. Hermione looked very confused but also thrilled as she marched through the, yes, _sand_, and towards a building behind them that Harry hadn't seen. The pets looked beyond bewildered, and Harry was sure that Pig was going to topple his cage over and bury himself in the sand if Ron didn't let him out soon.

"Where _are_ we?" Ron asked, hurrying after Hermione. Harry noticed that they all looked incredibly out of place in their long pants, cloaks, and scarves. He followed Ron and Hermione, with Ginny rushing to catch up.

"We have to be in America," Hermione said, looking up at the sun. "Its noon, that's five hours ago—we're in America!"

"Why would we be here? Do you think it's a trap?" Harry asked, stopping on the porch of the house. Actually, it was more like a hut, and the windows weren't covered with glass, just shades. It looked weird for Hermione to be knocking on a door; they were practically in the hut already.

"I really don't think McGonagall would send us straight into a trap," Ginny said. She looked excited, and she as bobbing up and down on her heels, staring at the water. "This is _so _cool!"

Hermione knocked again, and they all jumped back when the door swung open.

Harry knew all of their jaws dropped as a tall, blonde woman in a two-piece bathing suit opened the door. She grinned wildly, and looked at them expectantly. There was something about her, though; maybe it was the way she was standing as if she could curse all of them to smithereens in a duel that seemed strangely familiar.

"Wotcher, guys!"

"_Tonks_?" they all exclaimed, dropping their luggage with a loud 'thunk'. Tonks laughed loudly and nodded, ushering them all into the hut. She levitated their trunks in behind them, grinning broadly.

"Surprised?" she said, lounging in a hammock. Harry nodded, and realized that the other three couldn't make a sound either. It was rather shocking, first, to be in an exotic place when you were expecting the cold, and now Tonks was here, looking very unlike herself…

"You're _blonde_?"

Hermione blushed instantly after she asked, though she didn't hide the fact that she was shocked. Tonks laughed loudly and nodded, tossing her hair over her shoulders.

"Yeah, this," She pointed to her hair, "is the natural Tonks." She rolled her eyes, but didn't look depressed about it. "Do you understand why I chose to change my hair? No one would take a blonde Auror seriously!"

"_I _do!" a voice exclaimed from a back room. They turned to see a weary Charlie Weasley limping out of the door way.

"_Charlie_!" Ron and Ginny exclaimed, rushing over to their older brother. The siblings embraced and Charlie was immediately bombarded with questions about his attack and what he was doing here.

"Well, my leg is still bloody killing me, so Dumbledore sent me and Tonks on a…_babysititng_ mission, of sorts, so I won't have to move a lot."

Harry didn't exactly like the fact that they were being _babysat_, but he had a feeling that they weren't going to have a lot of supervision. Charlie and Tonks looked too happy to be on a beach and having a holiday to try and enforce rules on a bunch of teenagers.

"So, where are we?" Hermione asked, taking off her cloak and examining the atmosphere.

"Mmm, not allowed to tell you that," Tonks said, conjuring a cup to pour something from a nearby pitcher. "But you'll be here till after the New Year."

"We don't exactly have clothes for this kind of weather," Ginny noted, pulling at the collar of her jumper. Tonks waved a hand in dismissal as Charlie flicked his wand to open some of the other doors in the house.

"Taken care of," said Charlie, leaning back into the chair. "Dumbledore had this planned for a while."

"This was really nice of him," Ron said as he walked over to look at the rooms. "Bloody hell, this room is _huge_." He disappeared into the room, but they could hear his comments echoing out ("Look at the size of this bed!").

"This entire _place _is huge," Tonks laughed, and she stood up, stretching. Harry looked away, not enjoying the fact that he might want to stare at one of his good friends.

"Let's get you lot settled, yeah?" Charlie said, standing up slowly. Tonks quickly made her way over to help him, and Charlie gratefully used her as support. "I can't wait to be completely healed."

"Until then, it's time for you to relax!" she scolded playfully, making Charlie grin. Harry saw Hermione and Ginny share a knowing glance, but before he could comment, Ron slid out of the room with sunglasses and a Hawaiian print shirt on, posing in as suave of a pose he could.

Hermione and Ginny broke out in laughter, and Harry just shook his head. If they were going to be there for two weeks, he might as well have fun.

* * *

It was Christmas before they knew it. The time spent on the beach (which was very secluded, they had only seen one boat the entire time there) was fun, seeing as Harry had never been to one. They had tried creating a sandcastle version of Hogwarts, but each night the tide would come in and knock down a tower and a few floors. Tonks offered to place some charms on the sand, but Hermione refused to have magic help them. 

Harry had never seen water so clear or sand so white, and he really wondered where they all were. He'd enjoy coming here again, after all that junk with Voldemort was over. Ron and Ginny had taken to learning how to surf, and neither was very good, but both insisted on going out for an hour or two each day.

The owls disappeared after the first couple of days, and Harry suspected that they just didn't enjoy the weather. Hopefully they returned before they left. Crookshanks was having a grand time, though, standing just at the edge of the waves, swatting at the fish the tide brought up. He stopped doing this, however, when Ron 'accidentally' knocked him into an oncoming wave with his surfboard. Harry and Ron laughed about it for a good hour while Hermione tried to get the cat to sit still in the sun so he could dry.

Charlie and Tonks were using their well deserved holiday as much as they could. When Charlie came out, you could tell that he wanted to be out surfing with his siblings, but he'd be mature and only chase them around the shallow areas for a little bit before lying and resting. Tonks was enjoying her time by snorkeling with the same bubblehead charm Cedric used to rescue Cho from the bottom of the lake during the second task of the Triwizard Tournament. Harry had declined her offer to join him, though Ginny jumped at the chance.

Hermione did get in the water sometimes, but she was usually found under a palm tree, reading a book ("Not for school, though!"). Ron had made it his goal to toss Hermione into the water as often as possible before she snapped and punched him; it wasn't strange to hear the girl shriek and then a large splash followed by some more shrieks.

They woke up Christmas morning to find all the palm trees around their hut covered in lights and garland. The living room of the hut was nicely decorated and the pile of presents was right in the center. There was wrapping paper everywhere by the time they were done, and Harry was wonderfully surprised with his gifts.

Mrs. Weasley had sent him another jumper, but this time it was a deep shade of blue. The twins sent a box of random jokes, but Harry wasn't going to look in that one yet, incase it exploded. Lupin sent some defense books, and Hermione added to that gift by giving him some potion books that would be useful to Auror training. Ron's gift was very cool; a fifty sickle gift certificate to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes ("If you ever get to see it," he explained.)

He received the usual bag of candy from Hagrid, but surprisingly, Ginny had given him something (Harry was very glad that he had bought those Chaser's gloves for her). It was a green jumper, but it didn't have a letter, or any indication that it was his. When he thanked her, she had shrugged and blushed, saying that her mother was teaching her and she had enough yarn for a sweater _his_ size, so she figured she'd make it for him.

"Thanks, Ginny," he said, noticing she was babbling. Ginny laughed and nodded, thanking him for the gloves with a hug.

Hermione had obviously liked Ron's gift, a bag that could fit up to fifty books at once and only weigh as if holding three. She threw her arms around him, knocking him to the ground, thanking him loudly. Ron seemed happy that she liked it so much, but he had to pry her away from his neck so he could breathe.

Ginny received the best gift, though. There was a tiny basket under the tree that she had been avoiding, because it was moving. Figuring it was from the twins, she touched it softly and pulled it towards her by the ribbon attached to it. Everyone seemed intrigued with it, especially when they found the note attached that said:

_To Ginny, this is a late 'Congratulations' present for your being named prefect. Love, Mum and Dad._

"Aw, they already sent me a jumper…" she whispered. There was a blue cloth covering the top of the basket, and she slowly slipped it away to reveal a tiny grey kitten.

Ginny, Hermione, and Tonks all cooed at the exact same time and frequency. The girl swept the kitten up into her arms, staring in awe as it batted at some of her loose hair. Harry had to admit, it was a much cuter cat than Crookshanks (who looked incredibly irritated at the attention Hermione was giving to the kitten).

"Ooh, I have to write them a letter!" Ginny squeaked, rushing into the bedroom she and Hermione were sharing. Hermione clapped and Tonks looked incredibly impressed. The boys weren't as moved by the kitten, but forgot about it as a bell announced that the pancakes were ready.

That night, Harry had a dream about Voldemort. There wasn't anything important seen, just a dark room and his snake. It still made Harry wake up and feeling like vomiting. He didn't, but his scar was throbbing and he wondered if all his relaxation during this holiday caused it.

He wandered out into the living room, rubbing his head. Harry hadn't woken up from a dream in a few weeks, and it bothered him that during such a nice holiday he had to have visions of Voldemort just _sitting_ there, doing absolutely nothing…

His eyes widened, and he dashed for his bedroom to find some parchment and a quill. Ron was snoring loudly so he didn't wake up when Harry tripped and fell on the rug. He scrambled back up and found his utensils, scribbling down what he saw so he could send it to Snape. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that this could definitely be a break through in his Legilemency, or, at least, Voldemort was letting his guard down and Harry had been able to pick up on it.

"This is good, this is _very_ good," he whispered, sending the letter off with one of the tropical birds they were required to use.

He clambered back into bed, feeling proud of himself, and also feeling just a bit weird for sending a letter to Snape…

* * *

New Year's Eve was upon them quickly, and Ron was often heard complaining about how fast their time had gone by. Harry couldn't whine—he was happy just for the two weeks of no worries. Charlie and Tonks had given them small fireworks and sparklers to celebrate with while they waited for midnight, the two adults decided to stay indoors. There was supposed to be a fireworks show out at sea, and though it was only an hour until midnight, Harry could not see any boats that were preparing for the celebration. 

"We're running out of sparklers," Ginny noted, rummaging through the box Charlie and Tonks had provided. "Come with me to get some more?" she asked Harry. He agreed and they began to shuffle their way to the hut, leaving Ron and Hermione to bicker about how many fireworks they should set off.

"Those two need to find a broom closet," Ginny muttered as she skipped onto the porch. Harry cringed at the thought of Ron and Hermione…he shuddered, and followed Ginny in as she opened the door of the hut.

The living room was empty, which was odd, because Charlie and Tonks said that they were going to be listening to some wireless broadcasts of the New Year in Britain. Harry heard some noise coming from the back of the hut, so he motioned for Ginny to follow him. Maybe they had decided to go outside after all.

The door in front of the screen was open and it was obvious that there were two people on the back porch.

"Hey" Ginny stopped mid call, and sucked in a breath, pulling Harry away from the door. He hadn't missed what she saw, though, and was quite shocked himself.

Charlie and Tonks had been _kissing_, rather deeply, from the looks of it.

"Oh great, they're going to think we were _spying_," Ginny hissed as she pulled Harry through the house and out to the front porch. They plopped down on the steps, both looking amazed at what they just saw. "I can't believe it! My brother and _Tonks_! That's great!"

"I didn't see it coming," Harry admitted, burying his feet in the sand. Ginny looked proud and sat up straighter.

"_I_ did, Hermione and I saw it the first day!"

"Well, you girls just know everything, don't you?" Harry chided, earning a nudge from Ginny.

"They started the tradition too early," she said, pulling her hair back into a tie. Harry stared in confusion, and Ginny huffed as if he were as stupid as Goyle. "Kissing someone at midnight? _Hello_?"

"Oh, yeah," Harry said, flushing. He hadn't realized it, but there wasn't one time this whole holiday that he had thought of Ginny in any other way than a friend. Now that she mentioned kissing, it seemed to be all that he could think about. She was in the same blue bathing suit he had seen her in over the summer, with a silver wrap covering her legs. Damn, he wished she hadn't mentioned kissing. Oh hell.

"Anyone you'd like to kiss at midnight, Harry?" she asked slyly, waggling her eyebrows. _Curse you, Ginny Weasley_! rang a voice in his head. Harry looked up at the half moon and released a deep breath, shaking this head.

"I don't know, not sure." The answer was very lame; he knew, but there was no way he was about to admit to her that he'd like to see what kissing _her_ felt like. "What about you?"

"Mm, I can think of a few people." She giggled, putting her face in her hands. Her kitten, which she had named Iphigenie and affectionately called Genie, bounced out of the front door, chasing a firefly. Ginny scooped her up, her face still very red. "That sounds so bad."

"No, it's not," he said, making her smile softly. "I mean, if I really thought about it…I guess I could think of girls."

"Like?"

"I knew you were going to ask that."

They laughed, and Harry hung his head; now he had to think of some girls.

"I bet you say Cho," Ginny teased, making Harry groan.

"No, she's just…Cho. Now, anyway." He smirked, thinking that his first kiss was from a girl who was hysterically crying. That wouldn't be a story to tell his grandchildren.

"She was more?" Ginny asked, looking very interested. Harry shrugged, thinking about the way the Ravenclaw had made his stomach flip with just a small glance, and how jealous he had been of Cedric.

"I fancied her for a bit, but that was before I got to know her. She's probably a nice girl, I just wasn't the guy to help her through her…er…_issues_."

"Ah, Cedric." Ginny nodded knowingly. "It must've been rough for her."

Harry nodded grimly, "I wasn't very good at helping her, either."

"You're a boy, what were _you_ going to do?" Ginny joked, making Harry shake his head and laugh.

"I think I might have to resent that."

"Boys just don't know things," Ginny said, smiling and rubbing her nose with Genie's. "I mean, look at Ron. He's _amazingly _clueless."

Harry shook his head, staring out at the distance where he could see the outlines of Ron and Hermione. He knew better, about Ron being clueless, but he wasn't sure if he would be breaking some best friend trust thing.

"He knows more than he lets on," he answered simply, making Ginny shrug with uncertainty.

They continued to chat, Harry was glad that she had dropped the subject of girls to kiss, and it went from Quidditch to school to the Order to The Quibbler. Harry found out that though she didn't like to admit it, she was also a Cannons fan ("I think Ron would strangle me out of joy if he found out."). He told her about how Hermione had set Snape's cloak on fire in first year, because she had mentioned how she's like to see how greasy his hair _really_ was.

Charlie and Tonks came out to the porch; both looking rather pleased with something Harry didn't want to think about. Harry and Ginny had to contain their laughter as the two adults made excuses to go back into the house ("How many times does that kitchen need to be swept?" Ginny had asked).

It wasn't until fireworks started shooting off in the distance that Harry and Ginny stopped talking (Genie jumped away and skittered off into the house). It wasn't the fireworks Ron and Hermione had been setting up; the boats must have come through in the distance, because now the sky was sparkling with a rainbow of light, different shapes and sound filling the sky.

"Happy New Year, Harry," Ginny said, and she leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He flushed, and quickly, before he lost his nerve, he did the same back to her, wishing her a happy new year as well.

"Let's go send off some of those fireworks," she said, grinning broadly. Ginny grabbed Harry's wrist and pulled him off the porch, making him stumble before he was able to run along with her.

Ron and Hermione didn't look like they were going to be setting off any fireworks. They were lying on their backs, staring up at the sky, watching the celebration. Ginny jumped over their bodies, scaring the two of them, but it was only slightly. Ron sat up and laughed and Hermione buried herself deeper into the sweater she was wearing.

"Don't burn off any fingers!" she reminded, sending a grin. Harry and Ginny responded with a 'Yes, Mum' look, and it was a few minutes before they shot off a sparkler that exploded into a thousand red and gold flames up in the sky.

Harry stood, watching in awe, the spectacular in the sky. The past two weeks almost topped his summer at The Burrow. The only thing that could've made this better would be that the entire Weasley clan had joined them and knowing everyone was safe. Ginny continued firing off rockets, it seemed that she never tired of seeing the show they put on.

It was about twenty minutes later that they ran out of fireworks, but the show at sea continued. Charlie and Tonks joined them for a bit, sending out their own sparks with their wands. Harry realized that in just a little over half a year, he would be able to perform magic outside the walls of Hogwarts without having to worry about getting expelled. He started to think of all that he'd be able to do, but he couldn't come up with much. He was quite content with his life, at the moment.

* * *

He should have known that his happiness wouldn't last long. It was a sad day when they had to say goodbye to their little hut and the beach. Ginny was on the brink of tears right until the portkey swept them away and back to Hogwarts. It was frustrating, knowing that they'd have to go back into the madness that was their real life. 

They landed in a back room of the Hogsmeade train station and were the first students to get into a carriage. To make it seem like they had been out of Hogwarts the entire time, to lessen suspicion of anything.

"Look how gloomy," Ron muttered, staring out at the dark clouds over the castle. Harry and the girls nodded in solemn agreement as their carriage pulled to a halt. They exited, and Harry watched Ron obviously avoid looking at the Thestrals.

He wondered, for the first time since the beginning of September, who Ron had seen die. Harry had figured it was a Death Eater at the Ministry of Magic, but he knew he himself hadn't seen it—it must've been when they were separated. He remembered Ron looking terrified at the fact that he could see the Thestrals; Harry made it a point to ask his friend about it, feeling guilty for not doing it earlier.

They made it to the front doors of Hogwarts, and Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were immediately whisked away with prefect duty, having to control the traffic of students and help get luggage to the dorms. Harry didn't feel like meeting up with Neville or Luna, who he couldn't find anyway. He'd wait for his prefect friends to finish their tour of duty before he headed back to the dorms. For some reason he felt that it was the right thing to do.

After standing in the crowd of students for almost fifteen minutes, Harry began to wonder if his idea to wait for his friends was a good idea. At first he hadn't minded the cluster of students, but when they started brushing into him and knocking over his trunk, he began to get agitated.

"_Not as bad as Ron_," he thought, watching as Ron searched for the missing rat of a Hufflepuff first year who was on the brink of tears. Hermione was on the other end of the hall, but Harry could only see the top of her head. He wondered what she was doing over there, seeing that there were no dorms in that direction.

Standing on his tiptoes and wishing he were taller, Harry managed to see that Hermione seemed to be pulling at something rather fiercely. His eyes narrowed to get a better look, and that's when he saw the flash of black robes tug Hermione into a nearby classroom.

Harry knew that there wasn't time to grab Ron for help, so he didn't look back as he shoved away students that were in his way. He watched as the door slammed shut, and he pulled out his wand, ready to knock the black robed figure off of his feet.

The door had bounced back open after it was slammed, and before jumping into the room and blindly aiming, Harry put his ear near the crack, trying to figure out what was going on.

"_Stop it_," Hermione hissed, sounding extremely agitated.

"Where were you?" the other voice rang, and Harry's brow furrowed, _was that Nott_?

"Theodore, that's none of your business!" Hermione exclaimed in her most professional voice, "I do not have any obligation to tell you where I spend my Christmas holidays!"

"You were with Weasley, weren't you? You couldn't have stayed in the dorms the entire time!"

Harry took this as his entrance cue and pushed the door open, standing with his wand ready. The second Nott saw him he snarled and jumped away from Hermione. Her wand was out as soon as her hands were freeNott had been holding them behind her.

"Get out of here," Harry said icily, pointing his wand at Nott's chest.

"You've made a big mistake," Nott spat at Hermione, and he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

"What was _that_?" Harry asked Hermione, accosting her to see if she were okay. She rubbed her wrists slowly, and shook her head, looking confused.

"He wanted to know where I was over the holiday—he stayed here so we could _talk_."

Harry's mind flashed to Ron's expressed concern about Nott's interest in Hermione. It seemed like his friend had been right, things were getting out of hand.

"I don't think you should talk to him anymore." Harry smirked, opening the door for Hermione. She nodded, but still looked deep in thought. Maybe it was a little bit of shock, too. "Don't worry," Harry tried to console her, "he's not going to bother you again."

"What about Ron?" She sighed and put a hand to her forehead. "Nott's going to drive Ron to do something _stupid_. Do we _really _need a deranged stalker right now?"

"Think you can make a portkey to paradise?" Harry joked, making Hermione shake her head.

"Let me figure out a way for you to defeat Voldemort," She smiled when Harry's jaw dropped, "before I think about planning a vacation. Come on, I have to get back to work."

Harry nodded and followed her out of the room. He watched as she went into the prefect attitude and began ushering students through the crowd. He wondered if she had been serious about finding a way to defeat Voldemort, if she had actually done any research. _Harry_ hadn't put much thought to it, seeing as it still hadn't fully sunk it. It seemed absurd that anyone else would take the time to do so.

Though, as he watched Hermione manage to unlatch Ron's Hufflepuff first year from his arm (the rat hadn't been found, yet), Harry realized that she was thinking about her future, about _all _of their futures. His heart grew heavy at the thought of the fact that it was _his _actions that were going to determine the future of his friends, their families, all of Hogwarts, and the entire wizarding world.

He could barely manage his homework and the Quidditch team. Harry's head began to throb. He groaned and levitated his trunk, trudging down the hall to the dorms. He had some time before Ron and Hermione were finished, so he gave up on waiting for them and decided to use the time to mope, because his friends hadn't let them do that in a while. He supposed that wasn't _that_ bad of a thing.


End file.
